Happily Divorced And After

By Max Elramsisy | California Black Media

Dr. Rex Fortune, who was a husband and father, an educator, author and advocate passed away on January 29, 2023, at the age of 81. He devoted his life to lifting up the most vulnerable students and closing the academic achievement gap and in doing so made a lasting impact on the lives of countless students and faculty members during his extensive career.

Born in 1942, Fortune earned his B.S. degree in biology and US Army Commission from North Carolina A&T State University and then completed a MA in educational administration from the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD in educational administration from Stanford University.

He worked as a teacher and administrator for many years, including as superintendent of the Inglewood Unified School District and the Center Unified School District and associate superintendent of Public Instruction for the California Department of Education under his mentor, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Wilson Riles. Fortune also co-founded the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA).

Fortune founded the Fortune School of Education where he served as chairman of the board. He had several public schools named for him in the Sacramento region including Rex and Margaret Fortune Early College High School and most recently, Rex Fortune Elementary School in the Center Unified School District, opening in 2023. Fortune was known for his unwavering commitment to his students and staff, and his passion for education inspired many.

He was a mentor to many young educators and a friend to all. He was dedicated to making sure every student had access to quality education and the support they needed to succeed. He also created the Parenting Practices Academy, a resource empowering parents to become more involved in creating an environment that results in children being prepared for college.

Fortune published several books on education including “Bridging the Achievement Gap: What Successful Educators and Parents Do,” and “Leadership on Purpose: Promising Practices for African American and Hispanic Students.”

He is survived by his wife, three children and two grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and his legacy will continue to live on through the countless lives he touched.

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Yeah, The [Devil’s] Matrix! “Do you want to know what “it” is? asks Morpheus. Neo nods, Yes! The [Devil’s] Matrix it is a world of lies, deceptions, and illusions. It is all around us. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work and when you go to church. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” “What truth?” asks Neo. “That you are a slave, Neo. That you were born into bondage, like everyone else. Born into a prison where you cannot see, or taste, or touch. A prison, for your mind.” The [Devil’s] Matrix! You have to see it for yourself.”

[Then Morpheus takes out two pills: one blue, one red].

“This is your last chance. After this there’s no turning back. You take the blue pill the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, and you stay in wonderland, and I will show you how deep the rabbit holes goes. Remember all I’m offering is the truth nothing more.” Now, choose Whom this day you will serve!

Neo chooses the red pill, and the Matrix starts to breakdown. He sees the world for how it really is. He realizes that the truth is a war between good and evil, and the allures of this world are nothing but illusions, lies, and deceptions. The [Devil’s] Matrix!

Grid your loin. Watch – be vigilant and on guard, fully awake, aware, alert and intently focused, because soon and very soon mankind will endure intensifying violence, destruction, chaos, and judgment on a worldwide scale regardless as to what man’s report says.

I admonish you to be like Noah. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” And while he built it, he preached to the people–warning them about what was about to go down.  But the rest of the people ignored the warnings and when the flood came, they all drowned. They lost their lives because when warned, for whatever reason, they took no action, until it was too late. [Hebrews 11].

Let him that readeth understand! The [Devil’s] Matrix! Lies, Deception, and Illusion!

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6].

Civic Leaders Condemn Graphic Beating Of 29-Year-Old at The Hands Of Memphis Police Officers; Urge Caution When Watching Video

By Verbal Adam | OBSERVER Correspondent

As protests erupted Friday in cities across America over the brutal killing of former Sacramento resident Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers, local leaders across the racial and political spectrum joined together to condemn the horrific beating.

The Greater Sacramento NAACP held a press conference at City Hall where local political, community, and religious leaders gathered with members of Tyre Nichols’ family.

“On behalf of the people of our city, I am filled with anger, sorrow and revulsion about what happened to Tyre Nichols,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “We all should be furious that public servants trusted to protect life and the community would treat a fellow human being so cruelly.”

Nichols was born in Sacramento, on June 15, 1993. According to loved ones, it was here that he developed his love of skateboarding and photography. At the start of the pandemic, he moved to Memphis to be closer to his mother. He also worked alongside his stepfather at the FedEx Hub. Coworkers recalled how he would jokingly call himself the box manager. Those close to him said he found real happiness in Memphis, often watching and photographing the sunset. He had no criminal record, no history of substance abuse, and by all accounts he was respectful and always filled with joy.

Around 8:30 pm on the evening of Jan. 7, Nichols, 29, was stopped by Memphis police officers. The Memphis PD initially maintained that Nichols had been stopped for reckless driving, fled the vehicle on foot, was pursued by officers and taken into custody. Once in custody they maintained that Nichols complained of shortness of breath and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He died three days later on Jan 10. Within 10 days the U.S. Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation and all five officers involved were fired on the grounds of excessive force, failure to intervene, and failure to render aid. Additionally, the Police Department says it has no evidence that Nichols committed any traffic violation.

Local activist Stevante Clark called for a national “duty to intervene law” which would hold police accountable for failing to act when witnessing another officer commit a crime.

“Their silence is compliance,” Clark said. “If you have 1,300 good cops, and 12 bad cops and the 1,300 good cops don’t say anything about those 12 bad cops, they’re just as guilty.” Clark’s older brother Stephon was killed in 2018 by Sacramento Police who mistook his cell phone for a handgun. The officers responsible were cleared by the Police Department and returned to duty in 2019.

Mayor Steinberg,  who was hesitant to criticize the Sacramento Police Department following the killing of Stephon Clark until he saw the body camera footage first hand, told Nichols’ family Friday: “To Tyre Nichols’ parents and family, our society has failed you. I am so sorry for your loss.”

Sacramento NAACP President Betty Williams expressed the feelings of many in the Black community after seeing the inhumanity displayed in the video: “One. If just one officer would have said ‘Let’s stop’ if just one would have said ‘We’ve done too much’ if just one officer had a heart, that’s all [Tyre Nichols] needed to be alive.”

Stevante Clark held a protest at the Capitol at the moment the video was released. He fought back tears as he watched the brutality. Deterring from his original plan to march around the Capitol building, Clark led a crowd through the streets of downtown Sacramento calling for justice. Police moved fast to block traffic in the blocks surrounding the protest but did not intervene even as traffic was blocked. Clark directed the marchers not to be disruptive but to bring awareness.

By 3:59 p.m. PST, the California Highway Patrol had stationed dozens of officers in the areas surrounding the State Capitol building. Meanwhile, city leaders across the country understood that the video that would be released in minutes, showing what five Memphis police officers did to Nichols, could incite mass outrage.

The Graphic Video

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The OBSERVER has chosen not to provide links to the video beating)

All five former officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were members of the Memphis Police’s SCORPION unit. SCORPION is an acronym for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods. SCORPION is a 40-officer group that deploys in neighborhoods, with a focus on crime hot spots. The officers often operate in unmarked vehicles, make traffic stops, seize weapons and conduct hundreds of arrests.

Photos released by the family showed Nichols in a hospital bed severely wounded, eyes swollen shut and breathing through tubes. Ben Crump — the attorney who represented the families of George Floyd, Breona Taylor and Stephon Clark — has been retained for the Nichols family. A preliminary autopsy ordered by Crump has revealed Nichols suffered a heart attack, kidney failure and extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.

The former officers, all of whom are Black, each face several charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

The video, which begins with footage from the original stop, shows officers behaving in a hyper aggressive manner threatening to break Nichols’ bones and ordering him to be tased less than 10 seconds into the altercation while a confused Nichols complies with their orders to get out of the vehicle and lie down on the ground. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Momma help me!” Nichols can be heard saying as officers prepare to tase him.

Nichols attempts to flee only to be tackled to the ground, tased again, have a can of mace emptied directly into his eyes, is beaten unconscious, held up by officers while unconscious and beaten with a baton, kicked, stomped, and tased again before being left to bleed out on a cold Tennessee street for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived. The video is so graphic that Nichols’ mother was unable to watch more than a minute.

Blacks Face ‘Secondary Trauma’

Black mental health professionals have urged African Americans for several years to use caution when viewing such graphic images of Blacks being brutally abused or murdered.

“This is our story. This is our narrative,” Sacramento psychologist Dr. Lenora Tate told The OBSERVER in 2021 following the killing of George Floyd. “Not only have we been traumatized, but even if we haven’t and we see those that either look like us, or we always see an event in which we have survived, but that other person has been mistreated, it causes what we call secondary trauma.

“It’s secondary trauma because it didn’t happen to you. You weren’t getting beat up or they didn’t have their knee on your neck…but you witnessed it, or you heard about it second hand. It’s secondary, but we still have those feelings of low energy, being tired, nightmares, feeling numb, feeling hopeless, feeling overwhelmed. Some people have difficulty coping. They hit the bar or they hit that weed or do self-harm. They turn those things inward. Some people have flashbacks, some people just get really nauseated. Some people have intrusive thoughts,” she told The OBSERVER.

When speaking about watching the Derek Chauvin trial of the killing of George Floyd, Dr. Kristee Haggins, a psychologist, professor and the creator of Sacramento’s Safe Black Space healing circles, told The OBSERVER in 2021 that while she pays attention to what is happening, she has to use self-care to protect herself. “…I can’t (watch) it for too long or on a regular basis, because it is overwhelming.”

RIVERSIDE, CA– Unity is key when it comes to anything community based. On Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 10 a.m. the Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation (ADCR) will be hosting the 43rd Annual Riverside Black History Parade. The theme this year is “Inland Empire, moving forward in unity.”

Per usual, the day will start off with the parade kicking off at 10 a.m. which starts at Riverside City College making its way downtown ending at 13th and Main Street in Downtown Riverside by the courthouse. Immediately following the parade, is the expo which will go on from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature live performances, award winning food, unique vendors, and so much more! The grand marshal for this year will be Riverside Unified School District Superintendent, Renee Hill.

Prior to the weekend of the parade, the Kickoff Reception will be held on Saturday, February 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Central Middle School in Riverside, California.

For more information on the parade and other ADCR events, visit www.adcrfoundation.org.

By Joe Bowers, Jr. | California Black Media

When Gov. Gavin Newsom presented his 2023-24 budget, educators around the state were happy to hear his funding plans for California’s public schools.

The deficit had little impact on education funding. K-12 per-pupil funding is $17,519 from the Prop 98 General Fund and is $23,723 per pupil when accounting for all funding sources. Last year, it was $22,893.

Newsom announced, “We’re keeping our promises.”

The budget reaffirms his commitment to invest in Transitional Kindergarten (TK)-12 education. Funding levels are being maintained for universal TK, community schools, behavioral health programs, special education, programs to mitigate learning loss during COVID-19, teacher and staff recruitment and retention and the universal meals program.

The biggest new program presented in the budget is called the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) Equity Multiplier.

“We made a commitment with leaders in the Assembly and the Senate, led by the great work that former Assemblymember Weber and now current member Weber is doing in terms of equity,” Newsom described the program. “We’re committing an additional $300 million in this year’s budget.”

“We’re committing an additional $300 million in this year’s budget.”

Newsom was referring to the efforts Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber made with Assembly Bill (AB) 2635 and her daughter, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), with AB 2774. The bills were written to fix the LCFF by creating a supplemental grant for California’s lowest-performing subgroup of students not currently receiving funding, which are African American students.

Black students have consistently been the lowest performing students in the state. Currently, 70% are not meeting the English Language Arts standards and 84% are not meeting math standards.

About 80,000 African American students — or just over 25% — are not receiving additional supplemental funding or accountability through the LCFF.

It’s only by targeting additional funds to the lowest performing subgroup that most school districts will be willing to adopt specific and concrete solutions to bridge the achievement gap for Black students.

Although Shirley Weber had shelved the bill in 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to fund AB 2635 with $300 million in one-time money. The funding went to “low performing students” not the “lowest-performing student subgroup”. It is estimated that Black students received about 8% of that amount.

Last year, AB 2774 passed through the Senate and Assembly without opposition, but Akilah Weber opted to pull the bill before it was sent to Newsom due to potential constitutional issues and lack of an appropriation to fund it. However, she secured Newsom’s commitment to include it in the 2023 budget – targeted funding that would address the needs of Black students.

However, the LCFF Equity Multiplier Program Newsom is proposing falls short of the expectations of the educators and education advocates that supported AB 2774.

They formed the Black in School Coalition and they are asking Newsom to develop a program more like AB 2774.

Coalition member Debra Watkins, Founder and Executive Director of the California Alliance of African American Educators, told California Black Media (CBM) the program was, “Almost the opposite of what we were asking for… it’s misguided.”

Dr. Margaret Fortune, the president and CEO of Fortune School of Education, a charter school network based Sacramento told CBM, “You have a proposal that is put out there as the solution for Black kids, but the funding is not going to get to the Black kids.”

The Equity Multiplier Program is a $300 million ongoing add-on to the LCFF to accelerate gains in closing opportunity and outcome gaps.

The funds will be allocated to LEAs (Local Educational Agency) which are a school district, county office of education, or charter school with schools serving high concentrations of students eligible for free meals (90% or more free meal eligibility for elementary and middle schools and 85% or more free meal eligibility for high schools).
Brooks Allen, Education Policy Advisor to the Governor and Executive Director of the California State Board of Education, revealed to CBM that budget trailer bill language is being written to strengthen the ties between the three elements of California’s accountability system: the LCAP, the California School Dashboard, and the Statewide System of Support.

According to Allen, the trailer bill will require LEAs, where student group performance is low on a Dashboard indicator at the school level, to include specific goals, actions, and funding to address these demonstrated student group and school-level needs in the LCAP and LEA budget.

Assemblymember Weber told CBM, “I am a huge supporter of this proposal in its entirety…. It’s about making sure that the money that we’re getting is being used properly. That it’s going to the students that are supposed to be getting it and making sure that whatever indicators that we have found to indicate poor academic performance are being improved.”

Watkins is not convinced. “LCFF is almost 10 years old, and accountability was baked into it. That accountability legislated through LCFF has failed Black children. The money that was supposed to be directed to Black children, hasn’t gone to them.”

The Governor’s program is trying to address the needs of Black students given constitutional constraints. But his office has not let the press know what the constraints are.

The advocates for improving Black student performance are urging Newsom not to shy away from the possibility of being sued.

The members of the coalition and Newsom’s office have a meeting planned to, according to Allen, provide an opportunity for a “meeting of minds.”

Watkins is open to continuing talks, but “they need to make adjustments.”

Fortune says, “We’re going to engage the governor’s office. And we’re going to get engaged in the Legislature, and we’re going to engage the court. We’ll be everywhere.”

The discussions about the LCFF Equity Multiplier have been conducted without the benefit of the budget trailer bill language. Details are expected to be available in early February.

Negotiations on how best to fund Black students are expected to be ongoing with the Governor’s office, the Black in School Coalition and the Legislature until May 15 when Newsom releases his May budget revision. And further negotiations will likely continue until the June 15 deadline for the Legislature to pass the budget bill.

Coalition member, Christina Laster, education advisor for Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Western Region told CBM our motto is “No Justice, No Peace. We will do what is necessary to gain justice.”

 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— With our theme being “I Am …Changing the Narrative” the Social-Lites Inc., are excited to have 5 outstanding young men participating in the 2022- 2023 Beautillion Program. The Knights are Jermaine Moreno and Jordan Evans from Grand Terrace High School Senior, K’Miles Davis of Rialto High School, Shannon Williams of Mojave High School & Davion Boyd-Phenix of Arlington High School.

These Knights are in full swing with many dynamic speakers. To date we have had several special guests, starting with:

• Edward Brantley, Student Outreach Coordinator for the PAL Center & Lead Instructor for the San Bern. County’s Probation Depts. Independent Living Program opened our season with a well-received spirited talk about Self-Confidence and How to Bring You’re A-Game into your Life.
• Michael Davis, newly retired 25-year School Administrator who worked across Southern and Bay Area California covered the proper attire for Dressing for Success for any occasion from head to toes.
• Tina Darling, BN MSN Educator and Asst. Director of American Career College discussed all avenues of health and the awareness of STD’s.
• Pastor Reginald L Woods, PhD, Pastor of Life Changing Ministries and former Sir Knight 1976, spoke to the entire units (Squires, Fair Maidens and Pages) about all aspects of life and how to attract positive relationships & how to recognize them at an early age.

• Chief Joseph Paulino, for the S.B.U.S.D. talked to our youth about life and how to think outside the box and now is the time to start your focus.
• Zuriah McKnight – Police Officer of Valverde S.D. and Owner of District Charter Patrol talked to the men about entrepreneurship and how to seize the moment reminding the Knights “if you want something don’t waste time and get it.”
• Fire Chief David Reddix for the City of L.A. City Fire Department shared his journey as an African American male and the challenges of growing to the top rank of Chief as well as the career paths available.
• Charles Brown, former Sir Knight 1989 and member Dar’rell Jones both of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Mu Xi Lambda Chapter along with Social Lites, Inc. member Twillea Evans-Carthen of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Nu Omega Chapter presented information on the upcoming 35^th Annual Oratorical Contest and encouraged each of them to participate for scholarships.
• Anthony Roberson, Associate Director of Operations at California State University, San Bernardino and former Knight of 1995 – talked about his past participation of being a “Knight” in the program and how it helped him with his future life experiences. He also shared with the young men the importance of being an African American man today.

Just this past weekend we accompanied the Knights to the L.A. Black College Expo where they were able to meet Admission Counselors from the majority of our historically Black Colleges from around the United States. We were thrilled that several of our Knights walked away with partial scholarships that day!

The Beautillion Program, now it its 56^th year, it’s designed to help young men who are seniors in high school prepare for college through the solicitation of ads, leadership development, accountability, responsibility, etiquette, attire for all occasions, spiritual growth, public speaking, and community service. At the conclusion of the program one young man will be recognized “Sir Knight.”

The Beautillion program will conclude on April 1, 2023 at California State University, San Bernardino. To date, we have given out approximately 2.5 million dollars in scholarships to our college bound young men.  For more information, please contact Sheri Lewis (909) 320-0799, Elsie Paulino (951)205-8823 or Marlene Davis (909) 709-5502.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Afro Unicorn®, a fully-licensed character brand founded by trailblazing African American businesswoman April Showers, begins 2023 with a breakthrough year for creativity and authentic representation. Shattering the glass ceiling, Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand in major retail.

In 2022, Afro Unicorn hit the shelves of 3,800 Walmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico with party supplies and apparel. For the holidays, Afro Unicorn launched a new gift-giving tradition with its Magic Afro Unicorn gift box, encouraging acts of kindness. The conscious brand also debuted an original EP featuring Grammy Award Winning Anthony Hamilton, Lara D, Brooklyn Marie, and executive produced by producer Askia Fountain, Afro Unicorn’s GM.

2023 promises to be a Jordan Year for Afro Unicorn with a major presence at seven of the world’s top retail stores, including Walmart, Target, HomeGoods, Kohls, JCPenney, Amazon, and NovaKids. Afro Unicorn will also launch at Walmart Canada this February. The brand will skyrocket onto the scene with 25+ categories, from apparel and accessories to toys, puzzles, books, bedding, bandages, backpacks, collectibles, and more. With 45+ licensee partners worldwide, Afro Unicorn is the “blueprint” to empower and inspire entrepreneurs to enter the licensing space.

Ms. Showers says: “Afro Unicorn signifies two ideas: firstly, empowering and elevating emerging entrepreneurs. Secondly, it’s an homage to Africa and a promise to amplify representation. We deliver a product that feels ‘true and right’ and normalizes Black beauty. By doing so, Afro Unicorn uplifts women and children of color with the confidence they need to embrace who they are – unique, divine, and magical.”

Building the brand from the ground up, Afro Unicorn started in the e-commerce industry in 2019. Back then, it was an organic, grassroots brand, and Ms. Showers was pressing shirts and selling them through her eCommerce store, adding logos to T-shirts and bags at her customers’ request. Afro Unicorn burst onto the scene as a brand in August 2021 after a video of a little girl wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt went viral. Then, Ms. Showers received an email from Walmart with the subject title “Afro Unicorn x Walmart” collaboration, marking her start with Walmart as one of the first Black Women to enter the party supplies/celebration category with Afro Unicorn gaining prime shelf placement next to Marvel characters and Disney princesses.

Children will soon be able to live and play in a world of Afro Unicorn with plushies, collectibles, games, puzzles, books, playsets, ride-ons, outdoor play, and live animation in the works. A new line of original Afro Unicorn® books under the Random House Books for Young Readers imprint will be released widely in Fall 2023 featuring three Afro Unicorn characters by name across all Afro Unicorn® products.

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About Afro Unicorn®

Afro Unicorn® is a fully licensed character celebrating representation founded by visionary entrepreneur and CEO April Showers as a conscious brand with the mission to positively uplift and impact women and children of color. Afro Unicorn® represents the beauty and uniqueness of vanilla, caramel, and mocha complexions. From clothing and accessories to holiday gifting and educational resources, Afro Unicorn provides women and children with the confidence they need to embrace who they are – unique, divine, and magical. When a video of a kid influencer wearing an Afro Unicorn® t-shirt went viral, Walmart reached out to Ms. Showers about a collaboration. Recently, ABC News Good Morning America 3: What You Need To Know and CBS Mornings did segments on Afro Unicorn™. She created the character @afrounicorn_official (IG Account) to remind women and kids of color how unique and magical they are. Oprah Daily, Viola Davis, Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Keys, and Tina Knowles are all early believers. Ms. Showers hopes her success is the “blueprint” to empower and inspire women of color to enter the licensing space with 45 + licensee partners worldwide.

Shattering the glass ceiling, Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand in major retail. In 2022, Afro Unicorn® hit the shelves of 3,800 Walmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico with party supplies and apparel. To learn more about Afro Unicorn™ and how you can become part of this inspiring community, please visit www.afrounicorn.com or follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

YUCAIPA, CA—- Construction is underway on Crafton Hills College’s (CHC) voter-approved and funded Public Safety Training Center, following a groundbreaking ceremony on January 20 in front of a crowd of more than 150.

Upon completion, the $9.5 million facility will house CHC’s Fire Academy and public safety programs and further elevate CHC’s reputation as one of the premier public safety colleges in the nation. The Public Safety Training Center was made possible thanks to the vision of current and former CHC leaders and funding from 2018’s Measure CC, approved by voters to fund campus upgrades at both CHC and its sister college, San Bernardino Valley College.

Consistent community support has been the cornerstone of the public safety programs’ successes. Neighboring agencies, like the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and its fire department, have partnered with CHC to provide necessary tools of the trade, such as fire engines, equipment and training while supporting students’ growth with scholarships.

During the groundbreaking, Tribal leaders presented a check for a $1.8 million grant that will cover student out-of-pocket expenses associated with the program. The need for a steady income and secure housing is an obstacle for many who wish to study public safety fields, said Ed Duro, San Manuel Business Committee member-at-large.

“San Manuel believes that those with their heart [set] to serve others should be able to, especially if they come from historically underrepresented communities,” said Duro, a CHC alumnus, as Tribal leaders presented the gift during the event. “This is why I am proud to announce our investment to offer direct support to students, enabling them to devote themselves to the program. It is a priority for the Tribe to advance these opportunities for everyone regardless of background.”

“This project has been a decade in the making and serves as the best example of what happens when a community comes together for a common goal,” said CHC President Dr. Kevin Horan.

Dr. Stephanie Houston, chair of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees and a CHC alumna, called the new facility “near and dear” to her heart. As a parent of a first responder, Houston said the Public Safety Training Center brings her a sense of relief because “at that end of the day, [first responder graduates] are going to rely on their training, and their training all started here,” she said.

“So, as we look at our cadets, this next generation of students who are going to be coming through this amazing facility that we are building, [we will know that] it’s to ensure that parents, siblings, spouses and children of our first responders can sleep at night,” Houston said during the ceremony. “Because they can rely on that training we provide [to their loved ones]. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us.”

The Academy—including other first responder-related training programs, such as those for paramedics and respiratory care— has undergone a series of upgrades since its inception in 1982. CHC’s Fire Academy originally operated from an old automotive shop on campus that was transformed into a training space.

Horan concluded the ceremony by thanking the community and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their legacy of support.

“San Manuel’s generosity in the direct support of fire cadets enables us to continue to build a capable, highly qualified and diverse first responder workforce that will serve our region for decades.”

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media

At a press conference held at the Pasadena Rose Bowl last week, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 252, called the College Athletic Protection Act.

If the Legislature passes the bill, it will expand and reinforce protections for college athletes, says Holden, who also serves as Assembly Appropriations Committee chair.

“As a former college basketball player at San Diego State, I know how close you can come to an injury taking away not only the game you love to play, but also your opportunity to finish college,” said Holden. “So, we look at this bill as going further and establishing some important safeguards for athletes as they are out there enjoying what they love to do, but also getting a degree.”

In 2019, Holden introduced a similar bill, the college Athlete Civil Rights Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Newsom. That bill required schools in the state to inform student athletes about their rights and made it illegal for schools to retaliate against athletes who report the school for violations of any kind.

Holden represents Assembly District 41, where Pasadena, “The City of Champions,” is the political center. It is a town that prides itself on its appreciation for sports and the many accomplished athletes who have called the area home, including baseball great Jackie Robinson and several NFL players who have excelled in various sports and made it to the Super Bowl, according to the Pasadena Sports Hall of Fame website.

Holden described AB 252 as “comprehensive.” He told California Black Media at the Rose Bowl press conference, that it will require colleges to set aside $25,000 in tuition for athletes who are not fairly compensated annually to cover the cost of game-related injuries. It will also require that Division1 schools set aside 50% of sports revenue to pay athletes as well as make it easier to report abuses and inform their student athletes of their rights.

While other state and federal bills have dealt with the needs of college athletes in a piecemeal fashion, Holden says, this bill comes with a built-in way to enforce it.

A 21-member watchdog group, called the College Athletic Protection (CAP) panel, will oversee enforcement of the bill’s requirements and ensure that schools are reporting their athletic program’s finances. The board will have the power to enforce the provisions in the new bill and mete out discipline to violators.

The financial responsibility of the schools remains tied to annual revenue reports made to the United States Department of Education. For example, institutions reporting revenue over $20 million will pay for “out of pocket sports-related medical expenses” while colleges reporting over $50 million in revenue will also provide “nationally portable primary medical insurance” to each athlete, according to the language in the bill.

Ramogi Huma, the executive director of the National College Players Association, is a former football player at UCLA and has been a longtime advocate of college athletes.

He was introduced by Holden as a “partner” in crafting the bill.

Huma pointed out the difficulties faced by Black athletes and the exploitative nature of some of the NCAA rules, many of which were highlighted in a 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which looked at basketball and football. It found that the system funnels funds away Black and students from low-income backgrounds.

Huma was quick to call the NCAA business model illegal using “amateurism” to “strip wealth” from Black athletes. 

“The NCAA and its colleges do nothing about the trail of seriously injured abused and dead college athletes. This unchecked abuse is not an oversight – it’s by design,” said Huma.

Huma’s organization supports the bill, and, in his speech, he talked about player safety and fair market value as important parts of helping student athletes. He referred to the bill as a step to ending what he characterizes as “exploitation” by the NCAA.

The bill requires those students who are not receiving “fair market” value to have a graduation fund created for them every year which will apply to tuition – even if they can no longer play. Making graduation a goal for student athletes, the bill’s supporters say, is pivotal because data shows many students are spending long hours training to the detriment of their education or forced to play with serious injuries for fear of losing a scholarship.

Amy LeClaire was a college gymnast and victim of sexual assault at San Jose State in 2016. She and over two dozen other victims settled with the college, according to Jemma Dunn, her attorney. LeClair was abused by her coach and her trainer, and the college failed to report the abuse, the lawsuit alleged.

Several of the working conditions LeClair endured will also be addressed by the bill. Ensuring athletes can complete medical treatment and providing ways to report abuse without repercussion are both included in the language.

“I have witnessed firsthand the depths and complexities of institutional cover ups. Universities have not earned the privilege of operating unchecked, nor have they earned the benefit of the doubt,” said LeClair. “I entered the Institute as knowing the risks of a high-level sport, but never imagined the dangers of the institution itself.”

Not everyone will be happy if the bill passes. The NCAA has asked the federal government to block many of the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) laws being passed by states and claims that these types of laws undermine their ability to regulate this billion-dollar industry, according to Linda Livingstone, the NCAA’s Board of Governors chair who was quoted in Fortune magazine.

Livingstone said in cases involving NIL disagreements, said, “We already see that state legislators will take action that they believe will give the universities in their states a competitive edge over their neighbors.”

Elisha Guidry is a recent graduate from UCLA and was a student athlete for the Bruins. As a recent graduate, he has a hopeful view on how the bill will affect students.

“I want to thank all student athletes out there past current and future,” said Guidry. “Our hard work and dedication on and off the field has gone unnoticed. This bill is a step in the right direction to improving things for us now and in the future to come.”