Happily Divorced And After

By Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr. PharmD. and Dr. Jean Bonhomme, MD MPH

Over two and a half years ago, in the article “African-American Boys and Men in America Are Killing Themselves and No One Seems to Care,” I wrote about the national disgrace that is the heavier toll of suicide facing African American boys and men. I said that in minority communities, people often misunderstand what a mental health condition is; therefore, discussing the subject is uncommon. A lack of understanding leads many to believe that a mental health condition is a personal weakness or a form of punishment. African Americans are also more likely to be exposed to factors that increase the risk of developing a mental health condition, such as discrimination, social isolation, homelessness, and exposure to violence.

What has changed – for better and for worse – since then? Do African American men and boys continue to have a higher death rate from suicide and violence than others? Is the male suicide rate in the United States still far higher than women? Is suicide still a leading cause of death for minority males? Are African Americans still more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population? Sadly, the answer to all these questions remains yes.

What has gotten worse? As I’ve said previously, an African American youth exposed to violence have a 25 percent higher risk of developing PTSD than non-Black youth. Violent crime rates in US cities have only increased since 2019. This is especially true amongst young African American men. These two facts seem inextricably tied together: violence leads to PTSD; PTSD leads to violence, repeatedly.

Minority access to mental health-related diagnoses and care is impeded by barriers and challenges experienced by minorities who need addiction and recovery support and resources. There also seems to be a strong correlation between mental health issues and overdose rates.

A recent JAMA study suggests that during the COVID epidemic, specifically from January 2019 through mid-2020, opioid overdoses decreased by 24% among whites in Philadelphia. Conversely, opioid overdoses increased amongst Black Philadelphians by over 50%. According to the U. S. Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, only one-third of Black adults diagnosed with mental illness receive treatment. According to the American Psychiatric Association‘s “Mental Health Facts for African-Americans” guide, Black adults are less likely to be included in research and receive quality care while more likely to use an emergency room as primary care.

I recently spoke with Dr. Jean Bonhomme, founder of the National Black Men’s Health Network, who relayed some other startling statistics. In 2020, African Americans made up about 13.5% of the U.S. population, and over 55% of homicide victims, with a more than 65% increase in homicides relative to 2019. Other stark figures that Dr. Bonhomme shared were from a recent CDC study.

In the same period–2019 through 2020–drug overdose death rates for non-Hispanic Black persons increased by 44%, while for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons, the drug overdose death rates increased by 39%. Other numbers that jump out include the 2020 death rate from overdose among Black males aged 65 years (52.6 per 100,000) as being nearly seven times that of non-Hispanic white males of a similar age. Meanwhile, treatment for substance use was at the lowest for Black persons (at 8.3%).

Data from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors shows one factor in the mental health crisis disproportionally facing the Black community. This data indicates that the number people admitted to psychiatric hospitals (and other residential facilities) in the US declined from 471,000 in 1970 to 170,000 in 2014. This reduction in the availability of a potential intervention opportunity appears to have led to growth in incarceration and similar non-therapeutic interventions, which, in the absence of these other options, take the place of real psychiatric help.

We must also consider that the life circumstances of young Black men must also be the driver of many of these differences and disparities. Out of decency alone, the US needs to find a way to identify and target systemic changes to benefit these populations, which have the most urgent need.

Are there any positives the can impact minority mental health? Absolutely! The new nation-wide 988 crisis number launch went live July 16th of this year, and text-based services will be included. Studies suggest that over 75% of those using text on existing crisis services are under 25. Minority populations in the USA have a higher percentage of young people in younger age groups than whites.

Therefore, better serving an underserved community is an outcome that is a clear improvement on the current situation.

Men’s Health Network redoubles its recommendation that those charged with the health and social welfare of boys and men consider the following:

1. Acknowledge the heterogeneity of boys and men and the unique needs of diverse populations.
2. Develop culturally appropriate male-focused screening tools.
3. Develop guidelines that recognize the need to regularly and routinely screen boys and men for both physical and mental health issues.
4. Address the poor reimbursement for behavioral health clinical services.
5. Establish culturally and gender-appropriate programs to identify, interrupt, and manage mental health issues in African American boys and men, providing education and training for those in the community who interact with boys and men.

With this said, Men’s Health Network, Healthy Men, Inc., the National Black Men’s Health Network, and the Men’s Health Caucus have launched a public awareness campaign, “You Ok, Bro?” (https://www.youokbro.org/) and will be hosting a workshop summit on Thursday, October 13th, 2022, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to build awareness of the mental health crisis now erupting in the male population of the US. This important event will be live-streamed. The summit aims to examine and return recommendations to help reverse the recent increase in mental health crises. Behavioral experts from multiple organizations will share research, trends, and discoveries and supply information to men, boys, and their loved ones to help them identify the signs of mental distress and recommend ways to improve mental and emotional fitness.

“You OK, Bro?” is the beginning of a dialog that can start with those words, whether between just two men, or at a national scale. We hope it changes the way the US sees and talks about men’s mental health.

Men’s Health Network (MHN) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health awareness and disease prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Almost as quickly as it began, the music industry may have seen the end of the infamous Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) rapper referred to as “FN Meka”, a computer-generated character being widely condemned for appropriating Black culture and saying the N-word.

The A.I. rapper was developed by Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, cofounders of Factory New, a Metaverse media company. Some critics claim that the creators who are not Black are trivializing Black art and the Black experience, tantamount to what some are calling “digital blackface.”

“In many ways, digital blackface is an example of …. the ‘digital afterlife of slavery’ and Jim Crow, where you have real people and virtual characters engaging in a kind of machine-automated minstrelsy that disrespects and disregards the artistry and production value that goes into the creation of Black culture,” Dr. Faithe J. Day, Assistant Professor of Black Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), told California Black Media.

Media watchers say FN Meka is modeled after rap artists like Lil Pump and Travis Scott and was voiced by real-life rap artist Kyle the Hooligan.

Kyle the Hooligan says that he will be suing the company responsible for the A.I. rapper. The Houston-based artist says he had not been paid for his work and he wasn’t aware that his voice had been sold to Capitol Music Group (CMG) until he saw it in the news.

CMG terminated its contract with Factory New less than two weeks after they signed it amid the controversy surrounding the A.I. artist’s lyrical content and depiction of rap culture.

One of the A.I. rapper’s questionable lyrics is in the song ‘Moonwalkin’. It says “boom, police on my back, hot pursuit (Skrr)/ Know that they mad that this A.I. gettin’ [inaudible],” along with several uses of the N-word.

The A.I. project attracted more criticism when Factory New posted on its Instagram account an animated video depicting the program’s avatar on the ground being assaulted by police.

The post’s caption read: “POLICE BRUTALITY?? What Should I Do ?!?! This Guard keeps beating me w/ his BATON because I won’t snitch. I ain’t no RAT. Life in Prison is so Depressing…. I wish I could get out so I could start making music again.”

CMG issued a formal apology for its involvement with Factory New saying, “CMG has severed ties with the FN Meka project, effective immediately. We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it.”

Martini suggested that critics of his A.I. rapper have taken a hypocritical stance.

“If you’re mad about the lyrical content because it supposedly was A.I., why not be mad about the lyrical content in general?” Martini was quoted saying to the New York Times.

Prof. Day found that comparison grossly oversimplifies what some people are concerned about.

“In the case of FN Meka, comparing what an A.I. (character) does to what an artist does is a false equivalency and misses the point of why so many people are upset about the representation of this A.I. rapper,” Day said. “The real issue is that FN Meka is an example of what Adam Clayton Powell called ‘high-tech blackface’ and what more recently has been called ‘Digital blackface’, a phenomenon that we have seen for decades in video games, chat rooms, and social media.”

Day said there is an extensive history in music and entertainment of appropriating Black culture without compensating the African American originators of various art forms.

“Due to the fact that within America and the Western world, there is a history of those in power freely benefitting from the cultural and material production of BIPOC individuals, it only makes sense that the same ethos would continue in the digital realm,” Day said.

“And, in this case, the popularity of FN Meka and other virtual artists might make it easier for creative industries to forgo actually increasing the diversity and inclusion of their artists’ roster and production teams in favor of creating their own caricatures of Blackness, or any other combination of identities,” Day continued.

Martini is no longer associated with the FN Meka project and Factory New. In his announcement, he sided with Kyle the Hooligan.

“In the past few days, I’ve learned of Kyle the Hooligan’s experience with Meka which is deeply at odds with my core values. I believe that artists must always be at the center of the creative process and must be compensated fairly,” Martini stated.

While AI technology is making massive strides, it is still limited to processing massive amounts of data based on parameters set by the programmer, according to Josh Lovejoy at Google’s Privacy and Data Protection Office. Consequently, AI is not an independent entity but an extension of its creators and thus inherits their biases.

“In addition, while it is important to stay aware of racist AI, we also have to think about intersectionality and the fact that AI isn’t just racist, it can also be sexist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, and many other things that speak to the fact that oppression acts in a matrix,” Day said.

Day is still optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence as more Black and other minority-led projects become a reality, such as NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism (NSAF) from Hyphen Labs, a global team of women of color doing pioneering work encompassing art, technology, and science.

“By drawing on both speculative and liberatory approaches to art and design, I believe that there are many artists that are poised to build a more diverse and justice-oriented future within, and outside of, the creative industries by using technology and artificial intelligence for social good,” Day emphasized.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

A series of community Listening Sessions are being held statewide to help the nine members of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans better understand how laws and policies that contribute to perpetuating the effects of slavery have negatively impacted Black Californians.

The most recent three gatherings authorized by the Task Force took place last month.

An online community session was conducted featuring panelists Friday Jones, Los Angeles Reparations Commission Vice Chair; Jan Williams, Downtown Crenshaw Board member; and University of California at Berkeley professor Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis.

“What (Reparations) must do is bring about this sense of recognition,” said Lewis, who is a member of the California Reparations Task Force.

“One of the things that the (Task Force) has accomplished so far over the past year is to bring about a sense of recognition for the Black American community in California and the country overall,” Lewis told the online audience.

The virtual Webinar and Community Listening session was hosted by the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC), the American Redress Coalition of California (ARCC), and Community Health Councils (CHC).

CJEC is a state-wide coalition of organizations, associations, and community members that support reparations for Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved Black American men and women. CHC is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit committed to practices advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to achieve sustainable policy and systemic change.

A sanctioned in-person community listening session was held in the city of Vallejo. It was hosted by CJEC with the support of the state’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).

The event was held at Black-owned LaDells Shoes in downtown Vallejo. Personal testimony of adversity and success rooted in the Black experience in and around Vallejo were shared during this session. Struggles with employment, decent housing, racism in public schools, homelessness, police brutality, and the challenges of maintaining a business were covered.

“In May we had our first community conversation about reparations (in Oakland, Calif.) and it was an overall history of reparations in the United States,” said Dr. Kerby Lynch, who recently received a doctorate in geography from the University of California Berkeley. “This session is about what reparations look like for Vallejo. We are here to listen to one another’s stories and record these testimonies.”

Vallejo is one of the cities in the state with a modest population of Black people who are fighting for recognition during the reparations proceeding. It does have an abundance of Black history to be shared.

Home of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo is 32 miles north of San Francisco. The 2020 United States Census says the East Bay Area city had a population of 22,416 Black people (18.48%) out of a total of 121,275. Statewide Blacks are 5.4% of the population.

The third listening session hosted by CJEC was held
in Sacramento. Task Force member and Bay Area attorney Don T. Tamaki participated virtually in the session that was held in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood.

At the Sacramento listening session, the community testified about how to build small businesses, Black people’s “Great Migration” from the deep south to the west coast, how the Freedman’s Bureau model can be used to determine reparations, and Black pioneer’s presence during the Gold Rush.

The community listening sessions are being conducted across the state by the Reparations Task Force’s seven “anchor organizations.”

The seven, Afrikan Black Coalition, Black Equity Collective, Black Equity Initiative, California Black Power Network, Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, Othering and Belonging Institute (University of California Berkeley) and Repaired Nations began conducting community gatherings in March.

The listening sessions are designed to ensure certain communities around the state have the opportunity to provide their thoughts and concerns about the work the task force is doing.

On June 1, 2022, the Task Force issued a 483-page interim report to the California legislature. The report surveys the ongoing and compounding harms experienced by African Americans as a result of slavery and its lingering effects on American society today.

“It’s a sweeping indictment,” Tamaki said of the report during the Sacramento community listening session. “It connects the harms of the past and follows the consequences that we face today. There have to be legislative remedies.”

The interim report also includes a set of preliminary recommendations for policies that the California Legislature could adopt to remedy those harms. A final report will be issued before July 1, 2023.

The Task Force in-person meetings will reconvene in Los Angeles at the Paradise Baptist Church on Friday, Sept. 23, at 9:00 a.m. and Saturday, Sept.24, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The church is located at 5100 S. Broadway.

For updates and additional information visit Reparations Task Force Meetings.

By Petty Officer 1st Class Patricia Rodriguez, Navy Office of Community Outreach

NORFOLK, VA – Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Franz, a native of Barstow, California, serves aboard the Navy’s newest warship operating out of Norfolk, Virginia. USS Fort Lauderdale, an amphibious transport dock ship, was commissioned July 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“If there is one thing that history has shown us from the days of antiquity it is that the stakes of the competition for control of the seas are high and for our part, USS Fort Lauderdale stands ready to deliver on any day, and at any time,” said Capt. James Quaresimo, the ship’s commanding officer. “And those that may wish to challenge us – they should pause. For we are equipped with America’s unstoppable secret weapon that our enemies will never be able to duplicate and that is the fierce, dedicated, and unstoppable, men and women of the United States Navy and Marine Corps!”

Franz joined the Navy nine years ago. Today, Franz serves as an aviation boatswain’s mate.

“I joined to get out and explore the world,” said Franz. “I also like the ocean and wanted to be close to it throughout my career.”

Growing up in Barstow, Franz attended Barstow High School and graduated in 2008. Today, Franz relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Barstow to succeed in the military.

“My hometown taught me the importance of being responsible as an individual for my own actions,” said Franz.These lessons have helped Franz while serving aboard USS Fort Lauderdale.

Amphibious transport dock ships are warships used to transport and land Marines, their equipment, and supplies by embarked Landing Craft Air Cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft. These ships support amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions and serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious operations.

Serving in the Navy means Franz is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on strengthening alliances, modernizing capabilities, increasing capacities and maintaining military readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy provides maritime peace for all countries,” said Franz. We’re the first line of defense for the United States and our allies.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize the importance of accelerating America’s advantage at sea.

“Maintaining the world’s best Navy is an investment in the security and prosperity of the United States, as well as the stability of our world,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “The U.S. Navy—forward deployed and integrated with all elements of national power—deters conflict, strengthens our alliances and partnerships, and guarantees free and open access to the world’s oceans. As the United States responds to the security environment through integrated deterrence, our Navy must continue to deploy forward and campaign with a ready, capable, combat-credible fleet.”

Franz and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

“I’m really proud of being named Junior Sailor of the Year in 2020,” said Franz. “I was up against 20 other sailors in the region. The ship had an awards ceremony for me. It made me proud and lifted me up to be recognized. It gave me a morale boost that I really needed. It greatly impacted me.”

As Franz and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving means a lot to me because my uncle and grandfather both served, so it’s a family tradition that I’m proud to carry on,” added Franz.

By Lou Yeboah

Brings God’s punishment. Attracts God’s wrath. Damns you in hell. In all your getting, get an understanding. God has promised in [Leviticus 26:14-20] that disobedience will always be punished. The Scripture is so abundantly clear, I do not need to add commentary beyond what the Scripture plainly teaches: For Jesus said in [Isaiah 66:24], “Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind. Repercussions of disobedience to God!

Listen, disobedience to God’s has always come with consequences. Since the inception of this world, God has always punished disobedience. Repent before it is too late! Understand that God’s purpose for warning man is to motivate him to repent and come back to Him [Luke 15; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 8; Revelation 9]. What are you waiting for? The Book of Revelation, which we are living in now, is God’s final warning to the sinner to repent before His wrath and judgment come upon this wicked world.

I implore you to PLEASE repent of your sins, seek the forgiveness of God, and surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ right now! If what Revelation says is true [and it is], why would you want to delay or deny what is obviously upon us? Do not make that foolish and eternally deadly decision. Repercussions of disobedience to God always have consequences. Heed God’s Warning!

Remember Christ through Noah preached God’s Word to the people living in Noah’s day warning them of certain judgment through the impending flood [Genesis 6:13; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:18-20]. They did not repent and heed God’s warning and perished in the flood. Only eight souls heeded God’s “ample warning” and were saved [Genesis 7:7; 1 Peter 3:20].

Note the example given of disobedient Israel in [Numbers 14:29-30; Hebrews 3:5-19]. The disobedient did not “enter into his rest” because they didn’t repent and heed God’s warning through the testimony of Moses.

God warned Israel through Jeremiah and Ezekiel of their impending captivity by the Babylonians [Jeremiah 6:10; Ezekiel 3:10-11,17] because of their idolatrous worship [Jeremiah 11:10; Ezekiel 6] but they did not repent and heed God’s “ample warning” [Jeremiah 6:19; Ezekiel 14:6-10].

Heed the warnings and repent! If you do not, you will face the consequences of your disobedience sooner or later. Repent! Repent! Repent!

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget trailer bill approving $5 Million in funding to the California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) to house the California Black Women’s Think Tank.

The California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC) Empowerment Institute will be a founding partner in the development of the policy research institution.

The legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 179, authored by Assemblymember Phillip Ting (D-San Francisco), paves the way for establishing a policy institute that will focus on improving structures and practices that impact the lives of Black women and girls across the state.

“The California Black Women’s Collective has diligently worked hard over the last year to make the California Black Women’s Think Tank, the first of its kind in the nation, happen,” Kellie Todd Griffin, speaking for CBWC, told California Black Media.

CBWC in partnership with Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), is a coalition of more than 1,500 Black Women leaders throughout California.

The coalition utilizes Black women’s expertise and collaboration skills in political, community, and social justice activism to amplify their voices, knowledge, and issues throughout the state.

On June 20, Newsom signed a $308 billion state budget that helps address rising costs for Californians, tackles the state’s most pressing needs, builds reserves, and invests in the state’s future.

AB 179, the Budget Act of 2022, implements funding for key priorities established by the California Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC) for this legislative session, including CBWC’s Think Tank.

“We are thankful to the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) that included it as a priority-budget ask and CSUDH for partnering with us on it,” Todd Griffin said.

The CBWC’s goal for the Think Tank is for it to be “relevant and accessible” in providing an “independent, academic, research entity that provides a “rigorous analysis approach to policy,” CBWC explained in a written overview.

The state and CLBC are in support of addressing the need to expand work that drives systematic change, brought forth by CBWC. The Think Tank is an effort to serve as a research institution and resource for lawmakers, elected officials, business leaders, and advocating organizations willing to impact sustainable and scalable change.

“There are approximately 1.1 million Black females in California. However, there are 75% of Black households headed by single Black mothers and 80% of Black households have Black women breadwinners. There are economic, educational, health, and electoral barriers confronting Black women every day. In California, 23% of Black women live in poverty, according to the Women’s Well-Being Index from the California Budget and Policy Center,” CBWC stated.

According to the Status of Black Women report from the Women’s Policy Research (WPR) and information provided by CBWC, the median income for Black women in California is $43,000 a year- compared to $52,000 for White women and $69,000 for White men. The report by WPR also shared that the average cost of childcare for an infant makes up 28% of a Black woman’s average income in the state.

CBWC’s Think Tank intends to approach its work in a data-driven, strategic, and collaborative manner. Based on current information concerning Black women and girls in the state, the collective specifically aims to provide actionable policy solutions, remove persistent barriers that this group of women faces on a daily basis, and achieve racial and gender equity.

The CBWC Empowerment Institute falls in line with these initiatives to help Black women, Todd Griffin asserts.

“The magnitude of this funding allocation will be transformative as we continue the work to improve the quality of life of Black women and girls throughout California,” Todd Griffin said.

By Sunita Sohrabji

As the U.S. faces predicted surges this fall of Covid-19 infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced its approval of both the Pfizer and Moderna updated boosters.

Designed to combat more infectious and lethal subvariants of the Omicron variant, the updated boosters contain a combination of the original formulation and an additional formulating targeting the BA.5 subvariant, now the dominant version of the virus.

Public health experts predict that the updated boosters will also protect against the emerging BA.4 and BA.2.75 subvariants, which have been detected in other countries and are gaining ground in the US.

Speaking at a Sept. 7 news briefing jointly organized by Ethnic Media Services, California Black Media, and the California Department of Public Health, four doctors who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic hailed the new updated boosters.

Speakers included: Dr. Gil Chávez, Deputy Director in the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health; Dr. Maggie Park, County Public Health Officer, San Joaquin County Public Health Services; Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, Watts Healthcare; and Dr. Eva Smith, Medical Director, K’ima:w Medical Center in rural Hoopa, California.

California has already received 600,000 doses of the new updated booster. Anyone over the age of 12, who has completed the primary two-dose regimen is eligible to receive an updated booster. Those who have received a booster two months prior are also eligible to get the new updated booster. Shots will not be prioritized, as there is adequate supply for all who want them.

“The updated boosters are pulling double duty by increasing immunity against the original coronavirus strains while also protecting against the newer Omicron variants,” said Chavez.

“These vaccines have literally saved millions of lives, helped protect us against the worst outcomes of the virus, and frankly, helped us move on as a community and as a state,” he said.

“I have personally been the beneficiary of the Covid vaccine,” Chavez added, noting that despite being vaccinated and boosted, he nonetheless had an encounter with Covid.

“Thanks to the vaccine, I was able to have a mild illness and recover quickly without any long-lasting effects. My children, my grandchildren, all are vaccinated and boosted. They all have had mild cases of COVID. We are very grateful to this vaccine for really allowing us to continue to be a family and stay healthy,” said Chavez.

The doctor also noted that those who have had Covid should still get an updated booster, as the degree of protection from an infection wanes rapidly over time.

Park countered the myth of the pandemic “being over.”

“This virus is not going away just because we want it to. It is evolving. It is actually becoming more highly transmissible and getting smarter about evading our immunity, whether that’s natural immunity from prior infection or immunity from vaccination. So we have to try to stay a step ahead of it,” she said.

More than 72 percent of California’s population has received the primary series of vaccinations. But less than 59 percent have been boosted. Park noted that in San Joaquin County, less than 49 percent of those who are eligible have received a booster.

Park also countered another myth. “We’re still hearing that shots don’t work. People saying, ‘My friend is fully vaccinated and boosted, but she still got Covid.’”

“And to that I say ‘yes, but is she still alive?’ And yes, of course she is. We never promised that the vaccinations would mean you wouldn’t get Covid. We just said that it would reduce the severity of your disease and your chances for requiring hospitalization,” she said.

Brooks addressed vaccine hesitancy with what he called a “three Cs” approach: vaccine confidence, vaccine complacency, and vaccine convenience. His patients have expressed their hesitancy, saying: “It came out too soon, too fast. Don’t trust the government, don’t trust the pharmaceutical agencies, don’t trust public health care.”

But the doctor noted that the mRNA technology on which the vaccine is based was developed 11 years ago and has been used to treat illnesses prior to Covid.

He addressed convenience, noting that booster shots are available at pharmacies without an appointment, and are free, even for those who lack health insurance. Vaccine complacency, said Brooks, has become the prevailing factor: people see those who are vaccinated and boosted but still getting symptomatic Covid.

The doctor said he was especially concerned about long Covid: people who are unvaccinated are more likely to have symptoms even six months after an initial infection.
“We have a vaccine that is a biotechnological miracle. There’s a miracle in front of you that’s averted 16 million deaths and it’s safe,” said Brooks.

Smith, who runs a clinic on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in Humboldt County, noted that when the vaccine first became available, she was surprised to see elders lining up to get it.
“They wanted it. They didn’t want to die. They were watching on TV what had happened in other native communities with really horrible, horrible death rates,” she said.

Younger and middle-aged people were more resistant to getting vaccinated. So, despite the enthusiasm of elders, the Hoopa community has gone through several Covid spikes.

“We are a small tribal clinic trying to deal with a lot of acute and chronic disease issues. But we’re dealing with complacency. We’re dealing with people being tired, tired of having a shot, tired, honestly, of the inconvenience of ‘I’m going to be sore for a couple of days.’”

“I’m regularly saying I’d rather have mild flu-like symptoms for a day or two then to be sick.

I want to live,” said Smith, noting that she has extended family on both coasts and wants to be able to take care of her children and grandchildren.

“And so I’m going to do whatever it takes, whether it’s getting a flu vaccine or getting a couple of different Covid vaccines,” she said.

The Labor Day Weekend event featured Africa’s finest cultural representations with music artists, visual art, fashion designers, performances and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Labor Day Weekend brings a variety of events to cap off the summer – and renowned Afrobeats DJ Peter Lentini, Founder and Creative Director of the 13th Annual Ankara Fashion & Music Festival Los Angeles (AFLA), made it a memorable holiday weekend for Los Angeles. Every year, Lentini expects hundreds of people to come through the festival to experience the art, fashion designers, performances, and music artists that are some of Africa’s finest cultural representations. This year’s event exceeded expectations with more attendee’s than the previous year.

Lentini, who was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, is a self-made American success story. For the last 15 years, he has been delivering an eclectic mix of entertainment with event production and concerts around the world featuring African artists. Lentini created the Ankara Fashion & Music Festival Los Angeles to build a social landscape for African cultural pride in the U.S. and foster entrepreneurship by providing greater visibility of African artists from multiple industries. AFLA is the largest African cultural event in the United States. This year’s event was hosted by popular Nigerian actor and comedian Seyi Brown.

“All of our staff, volunteers, sponsors, entertainers – everyone that attended AFLA, made this year’s event an incredible success,” said Lentini. “We surpassed our attendance goals and smashed the previous record. It shows we have made our mark in Los Angeles as a culturally-rich festival that celebrates Africa’s contributions to art, fashion and music.”

The three-day festival kicked off September 2 and ended September 4. Opening night featured a headline performance by Wande Coal at Catch One. Other artists who performed at Catch One included King Abu, DJ Zuko, Chimdi. E Major, Otito, Tomi Trive, and MJTheDJ.

The second day featured an African Marketplace pop-up of vendors, and an Afrobeats Day Party at The Fountain LA. Closing night at Exchange LA featured a red carpet, a runway fashion show with live African music followed by a live performance by Nigerian Singer Yemi Alade.

Closing night included dignitaries, celebrities, musicians and actors who were invited to support and enjoy the fabulous styles on the runway as well as walk the red carpet. Those in attendance included: Chief Oladiran Alabi, Honorable Mame Mbaye (Senegal Consulate), Nyakim Gathwech (Supermodel “Queen of the Dark”), Petri Hawkins Byrd (American court show bailiff and TV Personality), Bayo Akinfemi (CBS “Bob Hearts Abishola”), Isaac C. Singleton Jr. (“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”), Nola Ade (Singer), Tyrone DuBose (American Radio Personality), Jaida-Iman Benjamin (HBO’s “Insecure”), and many others.

This year’s event was well supported by several sponsors, which included Lentini, AIDS Health Foundation (AHF), Umu Igbo Unite, AfroBeat Los Angeles, Zena Fashions, Toms One for One, AfroBrunch Los Angeles, Royal Dynamite, Andrea Williams of MUD cosmetic, Mrs. May Odiakosa of Star Beer USA, Chike Nweke of Life & Times Magazine Group, #StandAgainstHate, Celestina of Benz Life Collection, and entrepreneur Mrs. Lara Okunubi.
For more information about Peter Lentini and Ankara Festival, visit www.ankarafestival.org.

Stay connected with Ankara Festival at:
Instagram: @AnkaraFestivals
Twitter: @AnkaraFestivals
Facebook: @AnkaraFestivals

By Lue Dowdy | LUE Productions

Join the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce-Inland Cities East along with Youth Build Inland Empire for the 3rd Annual MLK Day Parade and Extravaganza scheduled to take place on Monday, January 16, 2023.

The theme is, “Living the Dream”. It takes a community to build a community! The parade will be held on the Westside of San Bernardino in the 6th Ward overseen by Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin. The parade route will be announced soon. The day will be entertaining, educational, and fun. There will be vendors, entertainment, music, networking, food, a car & bike show, an art walk, and of course a parade.

The committee is actively seeking committee members for specific roles the day of the event.

For questions on how you can participate, please text Lue Dowdy Committee chair at 909-567-1000 or email lue@blackchamberofcommerce.org or Dee Goings Co-chair Dee@blackchamberofcommece.org. To register to participate, visit https://form.jotform.com/212984991808169.

The committee is currently looking for the following: sponsors, food vendors, merchandise vendors, informational vendors, volunteers, classic cars/bikes, floats, entertainment, school bands, step teams, and drill teams! Please visit www.blackchamberofcommerce.org for more details.

By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media    

For the first time in history, a Black woman, Sedalia Sanders, was honored by the League of California Cities Past Presidents Council with its 2022 Past Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sanders has had a lifetime of firsts, pushing boundaries in local politics. As a past president of the California League of Cities, elected in 1995, she was given the President’s Council’s highest honor at the opening of the organization’s three-day conference last Wednesday, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

On stage were some of the past winners — but no African Americans. Cheryl Viegas Walker, also a past president of the league, presented the award.

“Today we recognize a true champion of local government,” Viegas Walker said, voice wavering. “One of my dearest friends and mentors who has been not only a champion of local government but a champion of quality-of-life issues, making our cities better places to live, to work to raise our families.”

Sanders delivered her acceptance speech with a combination of wit and humor. Thanking the audience for coming, she asked those who did not come to see her to “refrain from saying so.” Her speech recalled events of the last 80 years of her life and how they contributed to making her “part of the greatest generation.”

Sanders described her accomplishments as those of a “small town gal” from a “rural community” acknowledging the difficult job of governing, particularly with the recent pandemic. She emphasized the importance of a diverse, fair representation in government.

“So those who look like me, meaning of the same gender, those who may look like me, meaning the same ethnicity, and those who may look like me, because you’re my age or more,” said Sanders, “know that if you live long enough, work hard enough, all things can be accomplished.”

In a moment of reflection backstage, Sanders recalled how her political career began. The mayor of El Centro wanted her on the Board of Trustees of El Centro Community Hospital in 1982 but he warned her that she would need to be appointed to the position.

“This is 20 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. marched on Washington,” said Sanders. “He was killed in ‘63 and people were still worried about whether we (African Americans) have the knowledge, understanding or know-how and education to do this.”

But she persisted. Sanders said she won them over with her willingness to work hard and her tenacity. She went on to win, and defend a seat as a city councilwoman, and later mayor, of El Centro, in Southern California from 1984 to 1999.

Leaders that were inspirational to Sanders at the time included former Los Angeles mayor, Tom Bradley. She remembers meeting him and being asked how she was able to do it. She answered. “it wasn’t easy,” to which Bradley responded, “tell me about it.”

Bradley was the first African American to win the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sanders has achieved a long list of accomplishments and received several awards over 30 years in California politics. She has been mayor of El Centro, the president of the League of California Cities, a two-year member of the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities, a member of the Taskforce on Rural Competitiveness appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson, and the Vice-Chair of the Rural Development Council.

Hard work and faith were what Sanders says got her through some of the most contentious parts of her political career. Now in her eighties, she is not done yet. She has been reappointed by Gov. Newsom to the Executive Committee of the California Commission on Aging Commission, where she has been serving since 2016.

For Sanders, the message is clear— no one should be told they are not as good as someone else. Everyone should be able to participate in the governing process.

“What I’m hopeful for is that the presentation I made today in my acceptance speech will inspire someone so that they can see that they can do this.”