Happily Divorced And After

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

This past weekend, the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans received insight on how the state government might implement recommendations the panel submits in its final proposal due before July 1.

Chas Alamo, the principal fiscal and policy analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), appeared remotely in front of the panel as an expert witness during the two-day meeting held March 3 in Sacramento.

Alamo offered “several paths that could be possible for ultimate recommendations” by the task force to “flow through the Legislature and become state law” and how they can “apply” to the creation of the proposed California American Freedman Affairs Agency (CAFAA). The agency, if approved, would oversee compensation the state authorizes to Black California residents who are descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

The LAO is a non-partisan office overseen by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), a 16-member bipartisan team. It is the “eyes and ears” of the State Legislature ensuring that the executive branch is implementing legislative policy in a cost-efficient and effective manner. Its biggest responsibility is analyzing the Governor’s annual budget.

Alamo explained to the task force how the recommendations they make will likely become state policy.

“The creation of a new agency would be initiated through the governor’s executive branch and reorganization process, but other options exist,” Alamo said. “Regardless of the path, to initiate a new agency or enact any other recommendation that makes changes to state law, fundamentally both houses from the state Legislature would have to approve the action and the governor will have to sign it.

During discussions at the Sacramento meeting, the task force began the process of clearly defining CAFAA’s role, focusing on adding clarity to the agency’s mission as overseer for other entities offering reparations in the form of assistance to Californians who qualify.

After a two-hour spirited debate at the meeting – the 13th convening of the task force so far — all nine-members agreed that CAFAA that would have specified powers and its structure would include an administrative body that guides implementation.

“The proposed entity would be an agency, independent agency, that would provide services where they don’t presently exist (and) provide oversight to existing (state) agencies,” task force chair Kamilah V. Moore said.

Khansa “Friday Jones” Jones-Muhammad, is the vice president of the Los Angeles Reparations Advisory Commission. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

CAFAA would facilitate claims for restitution and would set up a branch to process claims with the state and assist claimants in proving eligibility through a “genealogy” department, the task force members said. A commitment to assisting with the implementation and operation of policies and programs being considered for recommendation would also be in the purview of the agency.

The concept of CAFAA is based on the defunct federal Freedman’s Bureau. On March 3, 1865, Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees.” The bureau’s main objective was to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to newly freed African Americans.

Ward Connerly, the African American political activist who led the ballot initiative that outlawed Affirmative Action in California in 1996, Proposition (Prop) 209, told FOX News one day after the task force’s Sacramento meeting that offering reparations was a “bad” and a “goofy idea.”

Connerly, former President of the California Civil Rights Initiative Campaign, has made objections to reparations for about a year now as California gets closer than any government in United States history to making amends for historical injustices committed against Black Americans.

“California is a progressive state but we’re not insane,” Connerly told FOX News on March 5. “So, I think that people of this state would rise up and say ‘no.’”

The two-day meeting in Sacramento was held at the Byron Sher Auditorium at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) in downtown Sacramento. Both days attracted crowds, mainly comprised of interested individuals and groups from Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg attended the second day of the meeting. Steinberg is one of 11 mayors who pledged to pay reparations for slavery to Black residents in their cities.

Similar to efforts in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Richmond, Sacramento is focused on developing a municipal reparations initiative through the city’s ongoing Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative.

“I wholeheartedly support reparations and think everyone should,” Steinberg told the task force panel on March 4. “If government should stand for anything, it should stand for investing in communities and people who have been the victims of discrimination and disenfranchisement for far too long.”

A participant stands and waits to give public comment at the March 4 Reparations Task Force meeting in Sacramento. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

The task force also recommended “appropriate ways” to educate the public about the task force’s findings and future reparations actions by the state.

The charge calls for building a collective base of knowledge to inform racially diverse communities in California about reparations, appealing to different ways of learning, expanding task force discussions into mainstream conversations, and inspiring reflection and action among all residents of California.

Task force members Dr. Cheryl Grills and Don Tamaki presented the proposal.

The next two-day task force will return to Sacramento at the end of March. For more information on the next meeting, visit the California Department of Justice’s website.

RIVERSIDE, CA—The Foundation’s annual College Television Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red-carpet awards ceremony April 1 at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.

Pettit has been nominated, along with two classmates from Brigham Young University, in the Animation Series category for a piece titled Cenote. Pettit served as the producer on the project, which was selected from over 132 submissions from colleges and universities nationwide by Television Academy members.

Cenote tells the story of Axel, a small axolotl who gets separated from his family by ancient magic. Along with an unlikely human ally named Memo, Axel must find his way out of the cenote he’s trapped in to get back to home.

Pettit graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA in animation and a minor in computer science. He is currently a character shading/groom TD at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California.

“The world needs content that is not only uplifting but entertaining in nature,” said Pettit. “The story we told at its core is about the feeling of being alone and relying on others’ strengths to strengthen yourself and accomplish your goals. Being able to briefly connect the audience to the emotion of abandonment and then showing them how to reach out and rely on others’ strengths was something we wanted to show to our audience.

“I hope to create a greater voice for unique stories and technology that have not been heard or seen before,” continued Pettit. “As a character shading artist, I wish to push the bounds of what 3D animation can look like. We live in an exciting experimental time in animation both in story and look development. I hope to be a large force in encouraging this experimentation in the industry.”

2023 College Television Awards nominees will also participate in a variety of professional-development activities from March 29-April 1, including a special screening of all nominated projects attended by members of the Television Academy, an industry-professionals networking breakfast, Hollywood studio visits and additional career-enhancing activities before the red carpet awards show.

Nominees and winners of the 42nd College Television Awards automatically become members of the Television Academy Foundation’s alumni family, gaining access to year-round networking opportunities, events and professional development resources. Prominent College Television Awards alumni include CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen; Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan director Patricia Riggen; Maya and the Three executive producer Jorge Gutierrez; and Love, Victor executive producer Jason Ensler.

NEW YORK, NY— Patrick Cupid, an emerging, self-made contemporary fashion designer, unveils “Letting Go,” his ninth collection for the Fall – Winter 2023 collection. “Letting Go” celebrates the freedom of self-release from social conformity and embracing the simple joys of life through personal aesthetics.

The collection forgoes trends for a more classic approach in a focused manner that reflects the individual. Exploring the autumn of self-discovery by shedding the concepts that aren’t representative of the self while expressing a style that begins to define who you are. The collection will debut in Paris March 5, 2023.

“Letting Go” collection highlights the colors Midnight Blue to reminisce the wildness of New York’s nightlife. The colors Dalila, Electrified Orange, and Cream demonstrate a floating symphony and elegant wave of colors. These colors with floral prints will provide a bold look for the fall and winter.

The Fall – Winter 2023 Collection will integrate designs containing long flowy dresses with seductive cuts in silk material. This collection will also incorporate textured wool, that will top the look off. These designs are hand-crafted providing a chic look. To allow for a nostalgic feel.

“True style is innate and not fabricated. It is a defining characteristic that speaks in a quiet voice not related to trends but to the individual,” says Fashion Designer Patrick Cupid.

The following high-end boutique stores will carry his luxury designs: CityGirl Atelier (San Francisco, CA), Felt (Chicago, IL), EJ On Thames (Newport, Rhode Island), Sandy Glam Boutique (Rhode Island), De-Essentia (Charlotte, N. C.), Shop Boutique (South Carolina), Affaire Estrangers (Paris, France), Wolf And Badger (London, Britain).

For more information about Patrick Cupid, please visit www.patrickcupid.com, email info@patrickcupid.com and (212) 748-7302.

About Fashion Designer Patrick Cupid:

Patrick Cupid is an emerging, self-made contemporary designer fashion brand that plays the formality of elegance against the ease of elevated sportswear, enveloping a cosmopolitan instinct. The first collection, “All in Jest,” started a conversation around independent style without social restrictions in Fall 2019.

The brand tells a story of independence and evolving culture through clothing seamlessly translating from professional to social. Each collection features a custom print designed by Patrick Cupid himself, emphasizing the seasons’ concept’s philosophy.

By Lou K Coleman

“Going through your daily life and your daily routines acting as you know that you have tomorrow promised to you. You act like there is time to waste and things can wait. You put off the things of Me and you only concern yourselves with the things of this world. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. “Walk Circumspectly, Not as Fools, but as Wise.” Because I tell you, things are going to change dramatically. Do not be one of those who I have to turn away when all is said and done. Time is of the essence. [Psalms 39:4-6; 90:12]. Do not delay! You must get yourself together if you are going to be able to survive what is coming. Turn from your procrastination! Do what I’ve told you to do, and do not waste any more time! You’ve been warned! I, the LORD, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. Therefore, “Walk Circumspectly Not as Fools, But as Wise!”

Listen, the Bible is actually very clear about what is coming. We are living in a very troubling time in this world. The world conditions have escalated from confusion to chaos. In Revelation God gives us three different accounts of the end time. These are given in the Seals, the Trumpets, and the Vials. Heed the warning as we near the Rapture and Great Tribulation prophesied in the Book of Revelation. For there is only one place to be safe and that is in Christ. So, consider today with some urgency your eternal life. With as much going on in our society and in the world today, tomorrow is not promised. “Walk Circumspectly Not as Fools, But as Wise!”

And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples. [Acts 19:8-10]. It then became too late!

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

This profile is part of a series of 10 California Black Media articles capturing the stories of elected Black Mayors working to make a difference in the lives of Californians in large cities and small towns across our state.

When the City of Fontana hosted NASCAR Feb. 24, third-term Mayor Acquanetta Warren served as an honorary official for the final run of the Cup Series Pala Casino 400.

According to Warren, Auto Club Speedway, formerly California Speedway, will undergo reconstruction that will reduce its size from the current two-mile track to a half-mile one.

One observation stood out for Warren as the mayor reflected on the final race on the racetrack that opened in 1996 in the city about fifty miles east of Los Angeles.

“I’m seeing way more African Americans working on the cars. They are more among the vendors, and I think in two more years, we’ll have even more,” she said.

“I’m constantly trying to get younger sisters and brothers that look like me to understand that you can have these dreams and they can be fulfilled,” Warren told California Black Media (CBM). “Don’t limit yourself.”

Although stock car auto racing has a well-known lack of racial diversity, particularly among owners and drivers, former NBA great Michael Jordan bought a majority stake in NASCAR’s 23XI team in 2020. Driving the team’s “23 car,” a nod to Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey number, is Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only active Black racer.

Other racing teams are becoming more diverse, too. Lamar Neal, a 29-year-old Black man, was on the pit crew for Kyle Busch’s race-winning team.

“It’s a sport that’s waiting for young smart people, not just drivers or pit crew, but the analytical side, the engineers — a whole world waiting for young, good people,” said Warren.

As the race cars revved up their engines to the thundering roars of the race spectators, Warren said she was reminded that inflation continues to skyrocket and that natural gas prices are running higher than normal — a point many guests attending the series also pointed out.

“We recognize these are really hard times, especially with the gas costs. People are calling me with bills [totaling] $600 to $800 when they’ve been paying $52 a month. That is terrible,” Warren told CBM.

Leaders must respond urgently to the high costs, Warren said.

Enter Fontana Eats, a program distributing gift cards for food to residents of the city.

“We had already been working on this program, but I want to increase [the amount people in the program receive]. It is also an opportunity for us to get our residents out more and do it safely,” she said. “They can go to restaurants, or they can go to grocery stores.”

When Warren was elected mayor in 2010, she was an experienced local politician, having served eight years on the city council.

Like many places around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges.

“We probably had over a half a million free masks to give out,” Warren said, recalling a step the city took responding to price gouging by some businesses.

Measure EE, in San Bernardino County, narrowly passed in November 2022. It directed elected representatives for San Bernardino County to research and advocate for all methods (including secession from the state) for receiving an equitable share of state funding and resources.

Mayor Acquanetta Warren greets JROTC volunteers at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on February 26, 2023. (Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media)

“I really advocated for people to vote for [Proposition] EE, because it’s a study on whether or not we’re obtaining the funds fairly in this county. We always are the stepchildren,” said Warren. “San Bernardino County is the largest county in the United States by land mass. Yet, we can’t really make it work if we’re not getting adequate funding.”

For example, Warren says her city does not have enough courthouses and judges.

“People talk about fairness, equity and due process. Well, it would help if we could get them into court and get them out of jail. If you don’t have the resources, everybody has to wait,” she said.

In addition to advocating for funding and tackling food insecurity, Warren is pushing for more public parks.

“We’ve always focused on our recreation, particularly for our young people. We don’t want them to be graduates of sidewalk university,” she said. “We’ve got softball, we’ve got baseball, football, soccer, basketball. We have various programs that the kids can sign up for. They can do arts, they can dance.”

According to Warren, the city now has 59 parks to keep its 220,000 residents active.

As she walked across the front straight away, Warren spoke with anyone who approached her, and she stopped by to a room full of teenagers from the Boys and Girls Club of Fontana.

Warren says she moved to Fontana after the Rodney King riots in 1992 shook her neighborhood in Compton.

“When I got appointed to be the first African American on the council, people were making a really big deal, but I discounted it,” she said. “For many residents though, it was a big deal. The Black pastors and a lot of the older African Americans in this community called me to a meeting and they let me have it. They let me know that I stood on their shoulders, and they were proud of me.”

Warren is an advocate for more diversity among people addressing the challenges all Californians face. This month she was named the Chair of the Southern California Water Coalition’s Board of Trustees.

“We need more African Americans in the water world. All these people are retiring,” she said.

Although several heavy storms have hammered California over the past three months, including a historic storm disrupting the weekend race schedule, Warren doesn’t think California’s historic drought is over.

“The challenge will be, can we capture the water when it melts, and store it, and that’s where we fall short,” she said.

Drivers resume the race at the final NASCAR race on Auto Club Speedway’s 2 mile configuration in Fontana, California on February 26, 2023. (Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media)

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, TN. – A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, recently completed an intensive 10-week training program to become a member of the elite U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

Seaman Vicktor Flores, a 2013 Chaffey High School graduate, joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Flores serves as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guardsman.

“I joined the Navy to serve my country after being influenced by my family’s commitment of service,” said Flores.

Established in 1931, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official honor guard of the U.S. Navy and is based at Naval District Washington Anacostia Annex in Washington, D.C.

According to Navy officials, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard’s primary mission is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy, and public ceremonies in and around the nation’s capital. Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard participate in some of our nation’s most prestigious ceremonies, including Presidential inaugurations and arrival ceremonies for foreign officials.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from being in the Navy is leadership,” said Flores.

Sailors of the Ceremonial Guard are hand selected while they are attending boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Strict military order and discipline, combined with teamwork, allow the Ceremonial Guard to fulfill their responsibilities with pride and determination. They are experts in the art of close order drill, coordination and timing.

The Ceremonial Guard is comprised of the drill team, color guard, casket bearers and firing party.

“I enjoy serving at my current command because I am able to execute ceremonies and missions that very few are fortunate to do in the Navy,” said Flores.

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers.

“I am proud of taking the first step of joining the military, and proud of the fact that I was chosen to be a Ceremonial Guardsman,” said Flores.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Flores, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“Serving in the Navy means protecting my family, loved ones and the people that came before me to serve and defend our Constitution,” added Flores.

By Tanu Henry and Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

On February 28 in Oakland, the California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF) hosted an event titled “Strengthening Democracy and Building Black Futures” followed by a reception for guests who attended.

The event included two panel discussions centered around the need for philanthropy to commit resources to building and sustaining a just, racially diverse, equitable and inclusive civil society.

“Civil society is the basis upon which you have a democracy, and civil society needs to be informed. It needs to be about achieving something. It needs to reflect the broader society,” said Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, Policy Link, who presented during one of the panel discussions.

CBFF is a “five-year, $100 million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism,” according to the organization’s website.

In April 2022, CBFF named Marc Philpart its Executive Director, a leader with broad experience in social advocacy working with grassroots and community organizations.

Panelists at the event included Blackwell; author Steve Phillips (Brown Is the New White); Lateefah Simon (president of the Meadow Fund); James Herard (Executive Director of Lift Up Contra Costa); Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker (District 1 Antioch City Council); Kavon Ward (CEO/Founder of Where Is My Land); and James Woodson (Executive Director of California Black Power Network.

By Tanu Henry and Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

It was a history-making moment as Malia M. Cohen was inaugurated the 33rd California State Controller at Los Angeles City Hall on February 23. During the swearing-in, she was flanked by her husband Warren Pulley while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass administered the oath.

As California’s chief fiscal officer and top accountant, the State Controller’s office is an independent watchdog overseeing the disbursement of state and local funds, including one of the nation’s largest public pension funds.

Cohen, a San Francisco native will be the first Black person, and second woman Controller, as the state continues to make an intentional effort to break gender and racial barriers. Two of the top four largest cities, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are led by Black women Mayors, Karen Bass and London Breed respectively, and the state also elected its first Black in Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, who previously served under an appointment by Gov. Newsom.

“Mayor Bass and Congresswoman Lee: I know that you know all too well, that no matter the campaign budget difference, no matter how much they outspend you, leadership can’t be bought,” Cohen said in her inaugural speech.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. allocated for the approval of a funding contract with Provisional Educational Services Inc., to the PAL Ballfield at Blake Park to begin improvements on the park. The project has now been approved and plans to begin the rehabilitation project have begun. PAL Center Chief Executive Officer Dwaine Radden Sr. said, “restoring these fields has been a long time coming. But we are grateful that Joe Baca Jr. embraced the vision to refurbish this community baseball field. He allocated 2.1 million dollars to make this project happen for the PAL students, local baseball youth programs, and the community. Our children need safe fields to play on, or they will be playing in the streets.”

“Allocating these funds for an underserved and disadvantaged community such as Muscoy was just a small step in the right direction. Blake Park Ballfield project approval has allowed our County to keep pushing to provide recreational, health, social services, and better quality of life to our county residents. Creating safe fields, especially for our youth is pivotal in keeping them safe and keeping them from playing on the streets. We are so excited to see this project soon come to life and see our residents enjoy it together, “Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., stated.

By Tanu Henry and Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

March is Women’s History Month, and several California organizations are celebrating trailblazing women making history in our state — whether it’s recognizing the record-setting number of women who are state constitutional officers or lauding the unprecedented number of women serving in the Legislature ((50 out of 120).

Last week, the Black Women’s Collective kicked off Women’s History Month with an event organized to help build an Economic Action Plan for Black Women. It brought together experts in policymaking, labor, economic development, and entrepreneurship.

“Black women serve as breadwinners in 80% of Black households in California with over 70% headed by single mothers,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, President and CEO, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. Griffin was citing statistics from a report on the State of Black Women in California from 2018 and 2022.

“Typically, Black women have higher labor force participation rates than other women, meaning a higher share of Black women are either employed or unemployed and looking for work,” Griffin continued. “However, the economic safety net is not secure as Black Women makes less than most of their counterparts making .55 cents to White males, which is one of the lowest in the nation equally the wage gap in Mississippi. California falls short of the national rate at .63 cents.”

Panelists at the event included Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt (CD10); Yvonne Wheeler, President, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, President and CEO, Center by Lendistry; and Denise Pines, Co-Founder and CEO, Tea Botanics and Women in the Room Productions. Moderators were Griffin and Regina Wilson, Executive Director, California Black Media.