Happily Divorced And After

By Mark Hedin

In a February 12 Capitol Hill hearing that stretched more than three hours, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham updated the 2020 effort and fielded questions from the House of Representatives’ Oversight and Reform Committee.

His long-scheduled appearance coincided with the nonpartisan Government Accounting Office releasing its latest report on census preparations and what needed action according to its recommendations previously agreed upon by the Census Bureau. Overall, it said, deemed Census Bureau readiness for 2020 operations is “mixed.”

Topping the concerns at the hearing was the finding that the Census Bureau is behind on its hiring goals. About a half-million people will be needed to help get a full count, and for each position, Dillingham said, he would like to have six applicants. But 202 of the bureau’s 248 regional offices are still understaffed, with the first of five mailings targeting 95 percent of U.S. households due to be sent out in less than a month.

Dillingham said he believes concerns about the rate of hiring are premature. He expects to be fully staffed by April when the people knocking on doors to get questionnaire responses from households that haven’t responded either online or by telephone will be needed.

Citing the low unemployment rate as a challenge, he promised, “We will continue to recruit all through the census.” Besides, he said, “20 million college students are out there with student loans and needing money.”

Also of concern to committee members was the report’s description of the Census Bureau falling behind on forming partnerships with the community organizations, businesses and nonprofits that will be crucial in educating the public and maximizing survey response rates, particularly among hard-to-count populations.

Fraud and cybersecurity form the other key concern in the GAO report.

California Rep. Katie Porter entered into the hearing record a fund-raising mailing from the Republican National Committee that gives every appearance of being the census questionnaire.

Porter said the RNC sent a similar mailing in 2010, that led to legislation outlawing such misrepresentations.

Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, of New York, called the RNC mailing “outrageous” and vowed to revisit that legislation and add enforcement mechanisms to it.

“Clearly, people are violating that,” Maloney said, looking at the mailing both Porter and California Rep. Jimmy Gomez had brought to the hearing. “The census is one of the sacred things in our Constitution.”

The adequacy of the Census Bureau’s preparations for prioritizing online responses also came up. Echoing his reassurances about the pace of hiring, Dillingham said that other targets the Census Bureau hasn’t met had been set higher than he expected would be necessary.

Although the Census Bureau decided on Feb. 7 to change the computer system it will use for online responses, Dillingham said it’s being set up to accommodate up to 600,000 users at once. But realistically, said his deputy, Al Fontenot, traffic at any one time is likely to be perhaps only a third of that.

Many committee members worried that their constituents lack adequate access to computers to ensure they’ll be counted. Dillingham and Fontenot described various plans, such as working with community libraries, but Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence pointed out that some libraries in her district have limited hours.

Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay noted historic census undercounts of African Americans — 718,000 people in 2010, he said — and noted the Census Bureau itself estimates that 60% plan to wait until someone visits their home before they’ll respond to the census.

Clay asked what outreach the bureau is planning, and specifically if it includes weekly newspapers and radio. Fontenot said a black advertising agency has partnered with the census’ primary advertising firm, Young & Rubicam, to help in communication efforts.

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib complained about the reversal of the Census Bureau’s decision after 2010 to add “Middle Eastern/North African” as an option for the final question on the census questionnaire, about ethnicity. If, instead, people of that ethnicity have to identify themselves as white, she said, it will affect health research, language assistance, civil rights, minority businesses’ ability to get loans and more.

Writing in an identity, “doesn’t have the same impact and you know that. You’re making us invisible. You’re erasing us,” Tlaib said.

California Rep. Harley Rouda, whose Orange County district includes “Little Saigon,” home to the country’s largest Vietnamese population, including many refugees, asked how the census will enumerate those with limited or no English language skills.

Besides the census questionnaire being printed in English and Spanish, online forms are in 12 languages and, Fontenot said, materials including instructional videos total almost 60. But, he said, the primary way the census plans to meet people’s language challenges is by hiring partnership specialists with language fluency.

“We do count on our partners for language assistance,” Dillingham said.

New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland shared an estimate that for every 1% of New Mexico’s population not counted in the census, the state loses $600 million of federal funding per decade. That’s money badly needed for “schools, health care programs, roads, so many other services,” particularly for Hispanic, Native and other communities of people of color, she said.

Unemployment is relatively high among the Spanish- and Navajo-speaking people Haaland represents, yet job applicants from her district have waited weeks to hear back from the census, she said.

“I know what it means for people to open the door and see someone who looks like them,” she said.

Dillingham said the bureau has boosted pay rates in response to unemployment and cost-of-living considerations in different communities. Fontenot cited the approval just last week of a $2 million budget for local advertising in “low-count areas.”

“If there’s more recruitment needed, we will make those efforts,” Dillingham said.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— – LaToya Scott may have been a late bloomer, but once she started on her academic journey at San Bernardino Valley College, she didn’t look back and gave it her all to succeed. As a single mom, Scott was facing many stressful personal obstacles. She reached out for help at the campus CalWORKs office.

“All the ladies in the office were very supportive with helping me navigate Valley College,” she said. “They’re amazing, they’re awesome.”

Through a variety of programs, mentors, and office guidance, she landed a job and was able to get financial aid, plus keep all of her TANF allowance benefits. It helped her stay focused on the most important part of her life – taking care of her then-infant daughter.

Last spring, Scott graduated with full honors, having earned an AA in Human Services Case Management in the Public Sector, an AA in Liberal Arts Behavioral and Social Sciences, along with a certificate for Human Services Case Management.

She admits it was all a bit scary at first. She wondered if she would be the oldest person in class. She worried whether she could retain the information. She hadn’t been in a classroom in 16 years, having dropped out in her senior high school year to help care for her grandparents, who raised her. But when she was 32, both grandparents died two months apart. She knew she had to work hard and fast.

“Life became real for me. I felt like I didn’t have anything to fall back on,” she said. “I didn’t want to fail my daughter.”

Undaunted, she completed her GED in seven weeks. Soon after, she started at SBVC and began working at the San Bernardino Community College District in fiscal and business services. Through the CalWORKs department, which she describes as a lifesaver, she received all the tools she needed to move ahead, including childcare. At one point, she was chosen to head up a workshop to educate other parents at her daughter’s learning center about how they could also access educational tools and flourish.

The CalWORKs campus office was accessible, and a truly judgment-free zone, she added. It helped her realize that there was life after public assistance. She said their doors were always open and guidance there for the asking.

“[It’s like] you’re on the county, but we’re going to help you stop this generational poverty. We’re going to help you get off the system to show your child and show your family that there is life after the system,” she said.

Scott also served an 18-month internship at the award-winning nonprofit Time for Change Foundation.

Most of all, her overall experience helped her to achieve all of her personal goals for her daughter, now four years old, who attended her graduation last spring. Today, Scott is no longer on county assistance. Valley College programming gave her the confidence to move ahead through their workshops and classes. Going forward, she is also considering pursuing her bachelor’s degree. This month, she starts as an eligibility worker with the County of San Bernardino.

“I’m really excited that I did all of this,” she said. “I have a child to provide for.”

To learn more about San Bernardino Valley College, visit www.valleycollege.edu. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Need help on filing your taxes? Come out to the ‘Free Community Tax Clinic’ for the community by Community Action Partnership and the office of Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes. The clinic will be held on Friday, March 13 at the CNUSD Parent Center located at 152 East Sixth Street in Corona, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free service is available to anyone who makes a maximum of $70,000. 

Call the office of Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes to set your appointment and secure your spot (951) 371-6860, walk-ins based on availability.

RIVERSIDE, CA— “I CAN CHANGE THE WORLD” is the theme for the 19th Annual Empowering Young Women Conference, a collaborative effort of the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation,  Riverside Community College District, Riverside Unified School District, Virginia Blumenthal of Blumenthal Law Offices, Chief of Police, Larry Gonzalez and the Riverside Police Association, the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, Susan Ebert, Signature Real Estate Group, Lt. Val Graham and Dr. Kathy Wright .  The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2020 in the Landis Auditorium located on the Riverside City College campus at 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA. 

This free conference, geared to young women ages 12 to 21 and their mothers/guardians, will feature informational workshops about women’s health and nutrition, domestic violence, human trafficking, cyber-bullying, social media issues, self-image and dress, college, careers, a defense demonstration, a fashion show, photo booths, a poetry contest, and a talent competition.

The morning keynote speaker will be Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones, Author and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics (AD) at the University of California, Riverside.  Afternoon keynote speaker will be Lisanne Grey, Human Traffic Survivor and Intake Coordinator/Case Manager for Heart 2 Serve, Inc.

The afternoon career panel includes Diama Calhoun, Lead Deputy District Attorney of the Domestic Violence Unit, Riverside;  Shauna Gates, newly appointed Chief of Police at Riverside Community College District; Kendra McCrary,  Owner/Chef, Ooh La La Catering, Los Angeles;  Lee Rodriguez,  Actress/Model;  Monica Stockhausen, Owner, Nerdy Girls Rock /Professor of Business, Chaffey College; Hon. Sunshine Sykes,  Superior Court Judge, Riverside County, all notable female leaders and entrepreneurs. These dynamic and other accomplished women will share their experiences and how they reached their personal and career goals with the conference participants.

Conference Coordinator, Wanda Scruggs said, “We are very excited about this year’s conference as we have a cadre of excellent keynote and workshop speakers willing to share their knowledge and personal experiences with our young women. Participants will receive breakfast, lunch, a goodie bag, Resource Directory and information on everything from how to defend themselves to identifying human traffic perpetrators — and all at no cost, thanks to the generosity of our wonderful sponsors”.

Participants are requested to pre-register no later than Wednesday, March 4 at www.adcrfoundation.org.

By Lue Dowdy

Child actor Michael Eshaun York is What it Do! This week ya’ girl is highlighting a young rising star. I love seeing the youth moving in a positive way, especially when it comes to going after their dreams. 

From his beautiful big, wild fro’, fly gear, and cute personality, I was immediately drawn to Michael; a humble kid with a bright spirit. Tapping into the industry is no easy task but he’s doing it with a great support team.

I look forward to seeing more of Michael in the near future. Please do me a favor and checkout his biography below. Make sure to follow him on all social media networks. Until next time folks!

Michael Eshaun York was born in Colton, California in 2010 and began acting in early 2014 at the of age 3 when he accompanied Fatimah Hassan on a Luv’s Diaper Commercial portraying her stage son.

He began taking Martial Arts (Tae Kwon Do) classes in 2015 at age 4. In 2016, at age 5, he begin taking Hip Hop Dance Classes with “Young Champions Dance America”, and also acting classes with actress/acting coach, Betty A. Bridges, whose list of clients (soon to become stars) included her oldest child, Jimmy Bridges, her daughter Verda Bridges, her son Todd Bridges , Nia Long (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Love Jones), Regina King (Jerry Maguire), Lamont Bentley (Moesha), and Aaron Meeks (Soul Food).

In January of 2016 by the request of Michael’s Management Company, he was sent to a TV Studio along with three other boys to be interviewed by actress Regina King, Director of the TV show “Scandal”. After meeting with her it was decided it’s time for Michael to take acting classes. After researching who taught Regina King and other successful child actors, it was confirmed Betty A. Bridges actress and acting aoach had a high success rate in the industry with children.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media  

After a tough battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), former Vice President Joseph Biden sealed the frontrunner position in the race for the Democratic Party U.S. presidential nominee on Super Tuesday. Sanders; however, snatched a few key victories, one of which was California with 29.5 percent of the vote.

So far, Biden has picked up 390 Democratic National Convention delegates compared to Sanders’ 330.

The 2020 presidential primary election took place in California, 13 other states, and one U.S. territory (American Samoa) Tuesday March 3. Voters got the opportunity to back their favorite candidate to challenge President Donald Trump in November’s general election.

With five Democratic candidates remaining, after Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race this past Sunday and Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s withdrawal Monday, Super Tuesday was a pivotal moment for presidential hopefuls.

Then, a day after the former U.S. vice president’s big win, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden, his former rival for the nomination.

Over the course of their campaigns, Democratic candidates have relied on several different demographics to help swing votes in their favor. One such demographic is African Americans, and these candidates all had strategies to secure that vote.

Some relied on targeted advertising blitzes. Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bloomberg’s camps all ran campaign advertisements touting relationships with former President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Sanders continued to invoke his involvement in the civil rights movement and his relationship with prominent progressive personalities like recording artist Michael Santiago “Killer Mike” Render.

Biden also claimed to have been arrested in South Africa in the 1970s while attempting to meet Nelson Mandela. He has since retracted that claim following evidence to the contrary.

Before Super Tuesday, in the South Carolina primaries this past weekend, Biden led the race with Black voters, clinching 61 percent of the Black vote, according to Washington Post exit polls. Sanders trailed Biden with 15 percent of the Black vote.

On Super Tuesday, Biden secured 72 percent of the Black vote in Alabama, 71 percent in Virginia, 62 percent in North Carolina and 53 percent in Tennessee, according to USA Today.

Bloomberg has had some controversy regarding Black voters resulting from his “stop-and-frisk” policies when he was mayor of New York City and from subsequent statements he made in 2015 defending said policies.

“So one of the unintended consequences is people say, ‘Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities,’” Bloomberg said in his 2015 speech. “Yes, that’s true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods… Why do we do it? Because that’s where all the crime is.”

Despite this, Bloomberg secured endorsements from several prominent African-American politicians like Assemblymember  Shirley A. Weber, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Some Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) endorsed the former New York City mayor as well.

Several high-profile lawmakers, including U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) — as well as former presidential candidates Buttigieg and Klobuchar — have endorsed Biden.

 Former President Barack Obama also gave Biden his blessing.

Warren only won 12 delegates, placing her last on Super Tuesday behind Bloomberg, who picked up 36. 

RIVERSIDE, CA— In a historic win, Corey A. Jackson projected to become the first African American elected to be Riverside County Board of Education. After being outspent by over $100,000, Corey Jackson won convincingly defeating the California Charter School Association’s candidate.

“The corporate charter school lobby tried to buy this election. The community fought back because our votes are not for sale,” said Corey Jackson.

Corey A. Jackson, a local nonprofit leader and civil rights leader specializing in youth development, culturally responsive interventions and social justice issues. He currently serves as the founder and Chairman/CEO of the SBX Youth and Family Services whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. Mr. Jackson is an expert in Afrocentric interventions for middle school and high school adolescents. Continuing to serve his community, he serves as the President of the Moreno Valley City-Wide Coalition, Political Action Chair of the Riverside NAACP.

He also serves as Youth Minister at the Moreno Valley Church of Christ. Being appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State University Board of Trustees, Corey represented over 400,000 thousand students in the largest and most respected public higher education system in the nation from 2004-2006.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) partnered with Assemblymember Eloise Gomez-Reyes, First 5 of San Bernardino, San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department, Golden State Opportunities, and the San Bernardino Rotary Club hosted VITA DAY 2020 on Saturday, February 29. 

VITA DAY 2020 was a day of family fun including not only free tax assistance, but also a kid zone, face painting, free tacos, a resource fair, and the opportunity for families to take photos in front of San Bernardino County Fire Department’s firetruck.

“The VITA program has long been an important component in helping families in San Bernardino County maximize their tax credits and avoid unnecessary fees at tax time, which helps them keep more of the money they earn,” said CAPSBC President and CEO Patricia Nickols-Butler. “For our VITA DAY event, we wanted to make it easy for eligible families to access free tax assistance as well as have a fun family day.”

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsome expanded the CalEITC (California Earned Income Tax Credit) and introduced the YCTC (Young Child Tax Credit), which continue to put more money back into the pockets of our families. According to the California Budget & Policy Center, the combination of federal EITC and Child Tax Credits cuts poverty directly by providing a tax refund to boost families’ incomes, and indirectly by boosting work earnings through providing an incentive to seek work. State EITCs build on the federal program to further help reduce poverty through state tax credits. On average, between 2015 and 2017, EITC and federal Child Tax Credits lifted nearly 1.3 million people in California – including 463,000 children – out of poverty each year, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis based on the Supplemental Poverty Measure.

Individuals and families must file their tax returns in order to find out if they are eligible for any tax credits. Tax credits are available at both the state and federal levels.

For those who were not able to attend VITA DAY, CAPSBC will continue to provide free tax assistance Monday through Friday by appointment only until Wednesday, April 15th. Those interested should call Charles Blythe at 909-723-1571. For VITA program free tax assistance in other parts of San Bernardino County, please visit irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep to find a site near you.

Film includes tributes from tennis legend Serena Williams and Olympic Gold Medalist Swin Cash

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Secret Deodorant debuts its latest equal representation campaign, “Not The First,” spotlighting some of the most remarkable women in sports today, while paying tribute to the women who paved the way for their professional success. Starring tennis legend Serena Williams, as well as Olympic Gold Medalist and NBA New Orleans Pelicans executive Swin Cash, Secret’s “Not The First” campaign celebrates the accomplishments of trailblazing women in sports.

Secret invites women to watch “Not The First” here, join the conversation on social media (#NotTheFirst) and share a tribute to a woman who first inspired them to pursue their passion. Secret will also support a group of multicultural female influencers as they share their tributes and make a donation to an organization of their choice that works towards equality for women.

“Secret carries a strong reputation of supporting equal opportunity and representation for women,” said tennis legend Serena Williams. “It is crucial to me that I use my platform to inspire change and support all women, particularly women of color because we are often overlooked and underestimated. I am excited and honored to partner with Secret to inspire a brighter future where women no longer have to be labeled as the ‘First.'”

To further extend the conversation, Secret will release a “Not The First” campaign ad featuring Williams in the March 16 issue of TIME magazine.

Said Olympic Gold Medalist, Swin Cash, “As a woman of color, I understand the difficulties that can arise while trying to make headway in a male-dominated Sports and Media industry. Secret has a history of supporting equal opportunity for women by spotlighting and celebrating our stories, and ‘Not The First’ is no different. I am honored to pay tribute to my role models, inspire honest dialogue and motivate women to keep pushing so they aren’t the last!”

“At Secret, we are proud to continue our commitment to equal representation and to keep working until all women can live in a world where we don’t have to sweat equality,” said Sara Saunders, Associate Brand Director, Secret. “Our ‘Not The First’ partners demonstrate unwavering strength and a relentless approach to empowering women of color. We hope ‘Not The First’ will encourage all women to share their incredible tributes, to help drive change.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng6RaWdELpk&feature=youtu.be

Join the “Not The First” Conversation

• Watch “Not The First” HERE
• Join the conversation and share a “first” tribute on Instagram (@SecretDeodorant) and Twitter (@SecretDeodorant)
• Tag a “first” woman who inspired you
• Follow the conversation: #NotTheFirst #ASNS #IWD

By SixFootah The Poet

I am a mother and a daughter, and I will not be silent because my pain can be someone else’s voice.  The makers of menthol cigarettes have taken my heart, and ripped it out, with no remorse.  They are the creators of a cancer-causing, lung-collapsing, aging-in-a-box of a disease that is a cancer in a stick that caused my mother to get hooked. It’s funny how they say cancer doesn’t kill, all so they can make a dollar bill.  But they created her lover, and since she got in bed with it, her life has been over.

My mother was raised by loving parents in an affluent home. I need you to understand that my mother was not a smoker.  But when she began working at a See’s Candy store in one of Oakland’s wealthiest neighborhoods, she was the first African American manager ever to work there and during their 15-minute breaks, some of the Caucasian women would smoke.  One of them handed her one and it was history, she was addicted.  My mother said that if she had known all about the side effects of smoking and the damage that it can cause she would have never started smoking. She wishes she would have known ahead of time.

My mother raised us in Oakland.  While I was growing up, she tried to quit smoking several times, but she was never successful.  Looking back, we remember she spent so much time smoking that we would have to wait to be around her or figure out another way to breathe. She would go through two packs a day and put the cigarettes before a bill. But little did we know that the menthol in cigarettes makes them easier to start, harder to quit and more damaging.

Thanks to menthol cigarettes, I have been losing my mother a little at a time for years.  My mother became sick on December 26, 2013, spending her life in and out of hospitals and care facilities due to the damage menthol cigarettes had done to her.  Two strokes and two heart attacks, I knew my mother and our lives would never be the same. I spent many nights beside her hospital bed where I cried, all because the tobacco industry lied.

It’s funny that they say tobacco doesn’t kill and it is our freewill, but in my neighborhood I seem to find more marketing toward my kind where it seems like there are 10 times more signs.  The Tobacco Industry has been advertising menthol cigarettes to our community for decades stacking the deck against us, making sure the menthol playing field isn’t level or fair.

I wish my story was unique, but I know it’s not. In California, more than half of African American smokers use menthol cigarettes, but less than one in five Caucasian smokers use them.  That’s not an accident.  The Tobacco Industry has altered people’s way of thinking, that they need menthol cigarettes as a coping mechanism for life.  And it’s why our community bears the greatest mortality due to tobacco.

But I won’t let her story, my story, our story, stay quiet. 

On November 2, 2019, my family and I lost our beloved mother.  She passed away after suffering serious and debilitating health issues from smoking menthol cigarettes for most of her life.  I’ve lost time with my mother, space with my mother, and memories with my mother.

But my mother was a fighter, and because of her, so am I.  With my mother’s blessing, over the past few years I began to educate and speak up for my people. Through my poetry, that I perform throughout my community, including at the Black Repertory Theater in Berkeley, I want people to know what menthol cigarettes have taken from me — my biggest supporter, holidays, birthdays, too many things for me to even count.  All gone. 

But the one thing they can’t take is my voice, and I will continue to use it until no more of our families bear this loss.   To hear more about our story, please visit www.wearenotprofit.org.