Happily Divorced And After

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) celebrated the 5oth anniversary of hip hop on Aug. 14, with a tribute to the West Coast pioneers, leaders and innovators who shaped the genre.

The Bring the Peace Movement organized the rally and ceremony where speakers paid homage to the honorees.

Juana Burns-Sperling, co-founder of Rialto/Los Angeles-based all-female hip hop group JJ FAD, told California Black Media (CBM) that the love received from state lawmakers — which included standing ovations on both the Senate and Assembly floors — was a long time in the making, but well worth the wait.

“It was amazing. It was an honor to be there to represent the West Coast and represent my group,” said Sperling, who goes by the stage name, MC JB. “When I first heard about it my thoughts were, ‘finally’ because the West Coast seems to be left out of things that are going on right now. So, the fact that our (lawmakers) were honoring us, we didn’t have to rely on other geographical areas. I was truly happy. We’re finally getting recognized.”

The rap songs Sperling, “Baby D” (Dania Birks) and “Sassy C” (Michelle Ferrens) performed were produced by world-renowned Hip Hop mogul Dr. Dre (Andre Young), and Arabian Prince (Kim Renard Nazel). They group was signed to Ruthless Records.

JJ FAD (an acronym created with the names of the original group members in 1985: Juana, Juanita, Fatima, Anna, and Dana) reached the top of the charts with their signature song, “Supersonic” in 1988.

The program organized by Jamilia Land of the Bring the Peace Movement, featured a voter registration drive and entertainment and was attended by CLBC chair Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Vice-Chair and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and other officers and members.

“At the time of its founding, hip hop was met with vitriol from politicians. However, today a host of politicians, community organizations and leaders convene to honor the pioneers and architects of the hip hop movement,” Wilson said on the Assembly floor.

Sperling was joined at the State Capitol with West Coast hip hop artists and music producers King T (Roger McBride), Kid Frost (Arturo R. Molina Jr.), Arabian Prince Mistah F.A.B.(Stanley Cox), Micheal Latt, Karega Bailey, Tinish Hollins, Greg Mack, Violet Brown, LaRussell Thomas, Greg Mack, Casual from the Hieroglyphics (Jon Owens), Disco Daddy (Michael Khalfani), filmmaker Deon Taylor, and Alonzo “Lonzo” Williams.

Mickelle “Hayón” Hellon, Leila Steinberg (who was Tupac’s manager), the Magical Rock Band, and retired legislative aid Rory Kaufman were also recognized as honorees.

Known to the West Coast hip hop community as “Grand Master Lonzo,” Williams is the innovator behind the legendary R&B/Rap group “World Class Wreckin Cru,” that found major success with the 1987 hit “Turn Off the Lights.”

“When I called my partner and Senator, Sen. Bradford, and told him we need to do something for hip hop on the West Coast I had no idea that it would end up on the Assembly and Senate floors,” Williams told CBM. “My initial plan was to do something in Compton, get all the homies and OGs together and show some love. But here we are today, and it was a great event.”

Bradford and Williams “go way back” on the music scene of Gardena, Compton, and Los Angeles. They used to promote singing groups, bands, and hip-hop dancing cliques. The artists received a warm welcome from lawmakers in both chambers; thanks to Bradford, Wilson, and Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D- Ladera Heights).

“Steve understood what we did back in L.A. back in the day because he was a part of it but only on another level,” Williams said. “Steve was a dance promoter before he became a Compton city councilman, assemblymember, and senator. He was my competition. It just made for a great situation.”

Williams is credited with launching the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson), D.J. Yella (Antoine Carraby) and Eazy E. (Eric Wright), formerly known as N.W.A. The group is credited with ushering in a form of hip-hop music that was coined gangster rap.

The gangster rap genre propelled the careers of Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus Jr.), Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Hale), DJ Quick (David Marvin Blake), Above the Law, Warren G (Warren Griffin III), Lady of Rage (Robin Yvette Allen), Yo-Yo (Yolanda Whitaker), E-40’s (Earl Stevens) little sister Suga-T (Tenina Stevens), among others.

The elements of hip hop culture first emerged in the 1970s in Morris Heights, a neighborhood in the Bronx borough of New York City. Hip-hop consists of four elements: “deejaying,” or “turntabling,” “MCing” or “rhyming,” graffiti painting, and the hip-hop dance, style, and attitude of “B-boying.”

The West Coast artists extracted the characteristics and stylings from East Coast hip hop but were able to create their own musical flavor with stories, references and imagery that reflected street life and living in urban centers, mostly in California.

Gangster rap and the “G-funk era” dominated the hip-hop scene in the late 1980s and all through the 1990s from the Los Angeles region to Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area by standouts like Too $hort (Todd Anthony Shaw).

Joel Flatow, Senior Vice President, Artist and Industry Relations, and Chief of West Coast operations for RIAA, said the accolades bestowed on the artists in Sacramento are a tribute to the innovation and foresight they brought to the culture.

“We just have a tremendous wealth of talent in this state,” Flatow added.

RIAA is a trade organization that supports and protects the rights of artists and music labels in the US.

Adding to the cultural weight to the celebration, Land and other community activists issued a proclamation, offered samplings of poetry, gave shoutouts to hip-hop history, and appealed to the audience to become politically engaged champions of peace.

“This is a time of celebration and reflection,” stated Land, who is also the co-founder of the Anti-Violence, Safety, and Accountability Project (ASAP).  “We acknowledge the monumental achievements of West Coast artists and also reflect on the effect of unresolved trauma and violence in the Culture.”

By Pauleanna Reid | FORBES Contributor

In 2022, Kim Carter and the Time For Change Foundation (TFCF) broke ground on the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center in San Bernardino, California. The 10,350-square-foot space houses a first-of-its-kind economic HUB in the Inland Empire.

Opening its doors in March to 16-hour days, the BBOP Center is home to 14 offices, a cafeteria, shared workspaces, and a children’s play area. Additionally found are fast-pitch rooms where women entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas to in-house venture capitalists. Every woman has an opportunity from there to sign negotiated deals in specially designated one-on-one rooms within the building. Legal guidance is also available for contract review, ensuring the women are getting what they’ve been working for, not just what the market says they deserve.

“I believe that people need to engage and have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership,” Carter remarked in our recent interview. Having founded the TFCF in 2002, the CNN Hero and Affordable Housing Developer is using the BBOP Center to carry on her decades-long work of assisting homeless women and children in their journeys toward self-sufficiency. Formerly incarcerated, exposed to childhood trauma and having battled addiction, Carter has gone from experiencing homelessness herself to advocating for those faced with similar issues.

The same year she broke ground on the BBOP Center, Carter released Waking up to My Purpose, a memoir focused on the themes of recovery, repair, atonement, and joy. “The way that I’ve been successful over the years is with the understanding that great leaders don’t create followers,” she stated. “They create other leaders.” With half of all proceeds from book sales going directly to TFCF, Carter’s passions and vision can be clearly seen in her outreach efforts.

“One thing about leadership is that everyone has their own unique set of qualities,” answered Carter when asked how she carries out her empowering style of leadership. “Instead of trying to replicate your qualities in someone else,” she continued. “The best thing to do is identify their qualities and help show them how those qualities form leadership. Once they believe that they can be a leader, then it’s easy for them to start exhibiting leadership.”

A Lasting Impression of Advocacy

Carter recalled her first encounter with advocacy taking place at around five years old. One of four children being raised by a single mother, she remembers a strike at her elementary school as her earliest memory of the act that has gone on to define her purpose.

“As a child, I didn’t really see it as advocacy,” she explained. “What I did see were women in my community who were having detailed discussions with our public school system. And I can recall my mom and her friends talking about what the school district needs to do to better support teachers. Because our parents didn’t have anyone to stay home with us, they pretty much were very vocal about the school system not supporting teachers, which in turn meant that we could go to school so they could go to work.”

The “trickle-down effect” that Carter says she witnessed but didn’t have a word for at the time, solidified her understanding of her motto, ‘Taking care of those who will take care of the rest.’ In our conversation, the author, speaker, and mother admitted that it wasn’t until later in life that she realized the importance of rest and self-care as part of the emotionally-taxing labor of fighting for equitable rights and justice. Describing the work of a community organizer as one bearing a heavy toll, Carter believes that having access to better resources creates the space for critical decompression and growth. This is especially true for the front-line workers she pinpointed as the reason for the BBOP Center’s groundbreaking development.

Setting An Unprecedented Leadership Example

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carter explained how she’d watched many women who had been overcomers of abuse and other gender-based issues be forced to show up for jobs that were becoming increasingly difficult to do. “They had to figure out child care, how to get the Internet for all the kids, and how to go to work too,” she mentioned of the women she regularly encountered. “The world still needed them to show up to work, but everyone else [was] hiding out from the disease outside.”

“I thought, ‘Why is it that the women who have the least to give are being asked to give the most during this pandemic?’ And I said, ‘What do we need to do as women to create for ourselves an economic platform that will allow us to be in charge of our future?’“ Upset with the growing “local hero” narrative and lack of adequate pay or PPE for essential workers, Carter commenced building a safe space for Black and brown women to establish and scale investable businesses.

Despite having no prior experience in creating a space of the BBOP Center’s magnitude, Carter’s life and experiences are proof that she was the perfect person to spearhead the endeavor. While in prison, it was an innovative drug and alcohol program that Carter quotes as being the stepping stone to the life she lives today. As the President & CEO of the Center for Housing Advancement and Motivational Projects (CHAMP), she’s been addressing the needs of women of color for years with the help of the resources she was exposed to in the 90’s.

“I realize there are so many women right now who are held back by the idea that somehow, some way, we’re responsible for what happened to us when we were younger, when we are not,” Carter exclaimed. “So many people have not had the luxury or opportunity to have a therapist to help them process and go through some feelings and issues. Some have not had an opportunity to even get back into mainstream society.

“My job and my purpose,” she continued, “are to make sure that there’s a door open, to show them that there is light, to show them, ‘here is a path that works for me and might work for you.’” Recently featured in the Italian film, “Tell it Like a Woman,” Carter’s path has been illuminated with help of producer Taraji P. Henson and Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. Showcasing some of her most intimate moments of survival and personal triumph, the included short entitled “Pepcy and Kim” has left Carter feeling seen and astounded. “I get to stand on all of that pain and suffering and actually use it as a part of my passion and purpose to help other women who are entrapped and enslaved the same way that I was,” she insisted.

Looking Ahead To Help Future Generations

Carter shared that she’s been able to assist over 3,500 women in their transition from homelessness and incarceration to lives of self-sufficiency. She’s also helped over 300 children in foster care reunite with their mothers through specialized housing and support services. But it’s the TFCF’s support of legal policies like CA AB570 and ‘Ban The Box’ that are its impetus to change family court systems, employment structures, healthcare, and education across the US.

Having pivoted from corporate America to the nonprofit world, Carter remains adamant that women entrepreneurs lean on support systems, do their best to eliminate distractions, and “stay focused on the vision that’s going to pay you,” she said. “You’re going to need to put your passion, your heart, your love into whatever you’re doing. You can’t do that if you’re distracted.”

For Carter, the next level of her life’s work includes the future of technology. She’s interested in how the businesses created today will be influenced by the artificially intelligent programs and robots of the future. In the meantime, she notes that apps like Salesforce and ChatGPT are being included in offered training and integrated into everyday operations to keep entrepreneurs up to speed with today’s fast-paced technological landscape.

Whatever they’re learning, Carter explained that the women utilizing the BBOP Center can take in the aesthetically pleasing murals of dynamic women of color adorning the building to remind them of how they can rise above inequities and systemic oppression to create, build, and thrive. “It doesn’t matter what your past is,” she concluded. “Your future can still be bright.”

By Regina Wilson and Joe W. Bowers Jr.| California Black Media

At a candid panel discussion hosted by the California African American Political Action Committee (CAAPAC), five former Black California lawmakers shared their experiences and accomplishments, highlighting the challenges of serving in the State Legislature and the foresight required to build consensus and drive positive change.

CAAPAC is a non-partisan political action committee that supports candidates who are committed to addressing America’s historical and systemic problems. It believes that serving communities requires integrity, passion, and determination.

The panel discussion was held during CAAPAC’s annual retreat, which took place Aug. 11-13 in Santa Barbara.

Participating on the lawmaker panel conducted before current and aspiring legislators, as well as lobbyists representing a variety of interests were California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who formerly represented the 79th Assembly District and served as chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC); Herb Wesson, former Speaker of the California Assembly (47th District);  Rodrick Wright, former State Senator (35th District) and Assemblymember (48th District); Cheryl Brown, former Assemblymember (47th District); and Autumn Burke, former Assemblymember (62nd District).

The panelists explored a range of topics, including the significance of bipartisanship and the need for people with shared goals and political objectives to present a united front.

Wesson said, “We as a caucus vowed to one another that if ever we were angry, whenever there was a disappointment, that stuff stayed between us. We agreed that we were going to focus on being united, even though there were only four of us in the Assembly. We were in lockstep whenever we could be, but if we disagreed, we disagreed.”

Weber recounted her journey as an Assemblymember, highlighting the negotiations and persuasion it took to pass Assembly Bill 392, a landmark piece of legislation that limited the use of force by law enforcement officers. The bill faced opposition from law enforcement advocates but ultimately gained bipartisan support. Weber credited the bill’s passage to relationships she made with legislative members from both parties, as well as her work with community advocates to ensure the bill was signed into law.

“We had an army that was in every building, raising the heat on the issue,” Weber said.

Burke stressed the importance of accommodating diverse viewpoints, especially those of women legislators who bring unique perspectives from their experiences as caregivers and community leaders.

“A lot of us run our homes, so we know how to keep a budget. We know what they need,” she said, highlighting the contributions of women legislators in California who have been central to shaping many policies that impact the lives of people every day. 

When the conversation turned to representation, the legislators acknowledged the challenges of representing diverse constituencies within their districts.

Brown recounted how members of the legislature and outside groups criticized her for focusing on the needs of aging Californians.

“You know there is a silver tsunami coming (she said in almost every floor speech she made), look around folks it’s here. There are more people that are over the age 65 than under the age of 18, which is why I have been working for years to ensure we address the needs of seniors,” Brown stated.

In the 2023-2024 budget the governor allocated $50 million dollars to address a range of issues relating to older adults.

Burke also discussed the challenges of representing a district whose demographics span people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. She said that a good leader must balance the needs of affluent neighborhoods with those of lower income areas, while also emphasizing the importance of addressing the unique concerns of each community.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Weber encouraged the next generation of legislators to prioritize unity, maintain integrity, and work relentlessly for the betterment of California.

“When we come together and have a unified agenda, we can achieve great things,” Weber said.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

A study released last week by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) presents a grim picture of the financial stability of Black women voters in the state.

A total of 1,258 women participated in the poll used in the study. Their answers give insight into the web of challenges Black women across California confront daily.

“Black women in California and around the country are struggling socially and economically while serving as primary breadwinners of their households,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, President, and CEO of CBWCEI. “The results are sobering and paint a picture of the pressures that threaten Black women’s stability and financial security. This data is a call to action for meaningful change to policymakers, advocates, and community leaders to address these pressing issues and disparity gaps.”

The survey conducted by EVITARUS, a Black-owned public opinion research and public policy consulting firm based in Los Angeles, provides an in-depth analysis of Black women’s opinions about state and federal elected officials. It also reveals CBWCEI’s top policy priorities for enhancing the well-being of women and girls in California.

Top among the issues Black women face are racial discrimination, lack of opportunities for career advancement, adverse mental and physical health conditions, pay inequity, parenting challenges, among other serious issues.

EVITARUS Managing Partner Shakari Byerly served as the principal investigator and lead researcher on the study. She said the survey reveals the financial and economic burdens that Black women confront as they contribute to their families, communities and the state.

Griffin, Byerly, Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), and Dr. Thomas A. Parham, President, California State University Dominguez Hills held a virtual media briefing on Aug. 8 to discuss the study’s results.
“This type of project is exactly why the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) pushed to have the California Black women think tank funded through the legislature,” said Wilson, who chairs the CLBC. “California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute received $5 million in funding from Gov. (Gavin) Newsom to launch this first-ever think tank to focus on Black women in California.”

Titled “The California Black Women Voters’ Quality of Life Survey,” the 26-slide PowerPoint presentation makes public the opinions of Black women who took the survey between May 24 and June 6.

The results reflect political party, age, profession, income, and geographical and other demographic information about the participants.

Byerly said EVITARUS had “good coverage” in terms of selecting women who were eligible and active voters. Eighty percent of the women who took the poll voted in the November 2022 General Election.

“We have a probability-based model used for who might be identified as Black, but then we also had a pool of the general voting public who were allowed to participate,” Byerly said. “We did a screen to determine whether they identified as Black and also as a woman, either they were cisgender or transgender.”

Approximately 40% of those polled stated that systematic racism and discrimination have hampered their income and earning abilities, which sheds a light on the structural inequalities faced by Black women, according to the survey.

Not having enough cash saved for retirement (77%), maintaining or achieving financial stability (76%) and being unable to make ends meet (70%) were among primary concerns.

Nearly two-thirds of Black women reported having difficulty coping with stress, reflecting the emotional toll of navigating social and economic pressures.

The study found that nearly 2 in 5 Black women work multiple jobs yet still struggle to meet basic expenses. The researchers say this is due to inflation and the rising cost of living in California. Among Black women who are employed, two-thirds are the primary breadwinners in their households.

In addition, 89% of Black women emphasized the importance of having Black representatives in elected office, reflecting their desire for diverse and inclusive political leadership. Among California’s 2.5 million Black population, Wilson said there are over 1 million Black women and girls in the state.

Assembly Bill (AB) 179, which was championed by Wilson, paved the way for the creation of CBWCEI, a non-profit “think tank” focused on improving structures and practices that impact the lives of Black women and girls across the state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a trailer budget legislation in September 2022 allowing the think tank to receive $5 million from the state to conduct such studies. The think tank is housed at California State University at Dominguez Hills.

CBWCEI also serves as a resource for lawmakers, elected officials, business leaders, and advocacy organizations. The poll on Black women voters is the first public project of the think tank.

“It is essential that we do all that we can to protect them,” Wilson said. “We need real data on the experiences of Black women so that the legislators, anyone involved in advocacy positions, can make meaningful policies that would drive the change we need to improve their lives.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— This year, Arrowhead United Way (AUW) will host its Inaugural Hunger Relief Benefit Concert presenting the Magical Music of Motown, October 14, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the historic San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium. The event’s theme is “United in Purpose” to “Feed the Need” towards our efforts to continue to support our agency’s service area which includes areas such San Bernardino, Grand Terrace, Highland, Patton, Colton, Rialto, Bloomington, Loma Linda, Devore Heights, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Blue Jay, Rim Forest, Crest Park, Running Springs, Crestline, and Devore Heights.

As their wonderful staff continues to support the community, they are asking that the community join them in their efforts to be “United in Purpose” as they feed the need of the community. Your sponsorship will help provide funding to support critical community needs.

For more Information about sponsorship (s) please call (909) 884-9441 or send an email to Gwenr@ahuw.org. Their team will be happy to provide you with detailed information on the various sponsorship packages available and answer any questions you may have.

ELK GROVE, CA — August is recognized as National Traffic Safety Month and marks the start of back-to-school season, a critical time to raise awareness and encourage safe driving practices to protect parents, guardians and children. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Caltrans urge all Californians to remain vigilant and practice driving responsibly on the roads to protect lives and foster safer communities.

As families gear up to return to school, the surge in traffic is expected to affect more than just commute times, particularly for Black communities. According to a recent study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, on a national level, Black people face a passenger vehicle fatality rate 73% higher than their white counterparts. This disparity becomes even more evident as Black individuals experience a pedestrian death rate of 118% higher than white individuals, as well as a 348% higher cycling fatality rate, resulting in the highest overall traffic fatality rate per mile traveled. Here in California, Black pedestrians experience a 65% higher fatality rate compared to their white counterparts.

As students head back to the classroom, parents and residents are reminded to slow down, follow the speed limit and be extra careful driving through school zones. To keep communities safer, OTS and Caltrans offer the following tips to stay safe around schools:

• Slow down and follow the speed limit.
• Adhere to school policies and procedures for dropping off and picking up students.
• Stop for school buses. Watch for children rushing to catch the bus or exiting.
• Whenever possible, avoid blocking the crosswalk while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• For parents with children walking or biking to school, teach them safe walking and riding behaviors, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, using sidewalks when available, and crossing at marked crosswalks with stop signs or signals.

If you are behind a school bus with a stop sign and flashing red lights, drivers need to stop so students can safely get on and off the bus. Drivers must remain stopped while the red lights are on. Drivers in both directions must stop on any two-lane road without a median or a center turn lane.

OTS and Caltrans are committed to creating a safer transportation environment for everyone. As part of this effort, they encourage all Californians to be proactive in promoting road safety and to share these tips with family, friends, and neighbors.

Let us all embrace the spirit of National Traffic Safety Month and back-to-school preparations by prioritizing safety on our roads. To learn more about the Go Safely Movement and share your thoughts on traffic safety concerns, visit gosafelyca.org/thegosafelymovement, and follow Go Safely on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @OTS_CA, @GoSafelyCA, and @CaltransHQ.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Last week, the world celebrated Indigenous People’s Day.

In 1994, the United Nations designated Aug. 9, as an annual commemoration of the world’s indigenous people as a way to heighten awareness about challenges faced by Native communities worldwide and to inspire global leaders to protect their rights.

According to the 2020 census, California is home to 110 federally recognized Native American tribes and more than 630,000 people who identify as indigenous or of indigenous descent. This makes California home to the largest indigenous population in the United States.

“It’s important that people who live here in California know the history behind the lands they are staying on,” Kascia Samel, a librarian at the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) told California Black Media.

“The indigenous people are still here fighting for recognition whether it’s to seek more help for the community or to address past histories,” she said.

According to information provided by the AIRC of the LA County Library, the indigenous population in California was 500,000 in 1770. Tragically, the impact of European diseases, reduced this number to between 150,000 – 300,000 by 1849.

In 1851, U.S. Congress negotiated 18 treaties with indigenous Californians that would have left them 7.5 million acres of the state’s total of 100 million acres. Despite this, then Gov. Peter Burnett in his annual address to California state lawmakers stated, “the war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct must be expected.” The following year, U.S Senators lobbied the Senate to not approve the treaties and settlers drove them from the lands that should have been theirs.

According to the Library of Congress, before the arrival of Europeans to California in the 1500s, the state’s native peoples were dispersed across the state and isolated from each other by language, tribal differences and geology. There were as many as 135 dialects among several tribes that included the the Karok, Maidu, Cahuilleno, Mojave, Yokuts, Pomo, Paiute, and Modoc.
Today, California tribes own about 7% of their unratified treaty territory.

While injustices still persevere, progress has been made culturally for indigenous communities.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is a prime illustration of how Indigenous people have shattered barriers and ascended to the highest echelons of America’s social, economic and political structures.

Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino) achieved a historic milestone in California by becoming the first Native American elected to the California Legislature in 2018. Furthermore, through executive order N-15-19, the state has mandated the release of an annual report to update Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state on the status of the indigenous community so progress can be toward rectifying injustices of the past.

In 2019, Newsom apologized to Native American Californians for the state’s “historical wrongdoings.”

“California must reckon with our dark history,” said Newsom. “California Native American peoples suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by state government throughout its history. We can never undo the wrongs inflicted on the peoples who have lived on this land that we now call California since time immemorial, but we can work together to build bridges, tell the truth about our past and begin to heal deep wounds.”

Ramos applauded Newsom for his action.

“This action will go a long way to start the healing process between the state and Native American communities throughout California,” said Ramos. “This historic acknowledgment by the Governor marks the beginning of a new relationship between the state and the more than 700,000 Native Americans who make the State of California their home.”

Culturally, the general public has gained more access to the contemporary lives of indigenous communities in recent years. Samel credits this to keeping traditions alive and the entertainment industry investing in stories from the community.

“I think there is more media representation. If you look at shows like Reservation Dogs, kid’s shows like Spirit Rangers, there’s a lot more books being published as well. There’s still pow wows going on and other community events happening. This is a great time for people to learn more about indigenous cultures and see how their histories effect our histories.”
This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.”

By Lou K Coleman

Because war is coming to America. China and Russia are already on the grounds of America with weapons ready to go. The warning of an impending crisis. “Run for your lives. Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And don’t look back. Escape to the mountains, or you will die.” [Genesis 19:17]. Destruction will be total. America, like you have never, ever seen her! “In one single hour, her doom [judgment] will overtake her.” [Revelations 18:10]. “In one single hour all her vast wealth will be destroyed — wiped out.” [Revelation 18:17]. As they watched the smoke of her burning …” [Revelations 18:18].

These verses describe a nuclear attack, as only nuclear weapons can annihilate an entire nation in only one hour of one day, with great fire and burning. World War III. It will be the biggest and worst world war ever. Heed God’s Warning NOW! World War III is fast approaching.

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [daughter] of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So, thou, O [daughter] of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. [Ezekiel 33:1-9].

Heed God’s Warning Now!

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Last week, the Black in School Coalition released the results of its comprehensive survey titled “California Black Voters Perspectives on the Quality of Education for Black Students.”

The coalition commissioned this statewide survey of 1,200 Black voters for the third consecutive year to assess their viewpoints on education funding, school performance, and the biggest challenges facing Black students today.

The Black in School Coalition is a statewide organization that works to improve academic and social outcomes for Black students in California.

The data gathered from the poll is intended to offer policymakers, educators, and other relevant stakeholders’ insights into the education related concerns of Black voters. These insights can be used to help them develop more effective policies and programs to improve the quality of education that Black students receive.

Currently, 70% of Black students are not meeting English language arts standards and 84% are not meeting math standards.

The survey found that 84% of Black voters want education funding to target the lowest performing schools.

Additionally, 71% of Black voters believe that allocating additional money based on student performance would improve education for Black students.

79% of respondents support a legislative proposal to change the way that LCFF is funded by creating a new grant for California’s lowest performing subgroups, including Black students.

50% of respondents do not think that schools in their area are providing quality education for Black students. This finding suggests that Black students are not receiving the same quality of education as their White peers.

93% of respondents think that chronic absenteeism is an urgent problem. This is a major issue for Black students because it can have a devastating impact on their academic achievement.

48% of Black voters disagree that the California legislature is working hard to improve education for Black students. Only 27% of respondents agree that Gov. Newsom is doing enough to improve educational outcomes for Black students.

All of these findings suggest that Black voters in California are deeply concerned about the state of education for Black students.

Dr. Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune School of Education said during the release of the poll, “I think that the point of this work is to improve the academic performance of all of our students including those that are the lowest performers.”

Brian Rivas with The Education Trust-West and a Black in School Coalition member said in the Coalition’s press release, “Almost half of those surveyed do not believe the California Legislature is working hard to improve education for Black students, and that is a problem. We must do better.”

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and state Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) recently traveled to Kenya to study a universal income program the country utilizes to support one of its most impoverished regions. The goal is to see if a similar program could benefit California residents as well.

In the towns of Kisumu County, Kenya that they visited, residents have received $25 a month for the past five years as part of the world’s largest guaranteed income project. GiveDirectly, the non-profit funding the $30M initiative, disburses millions of dollars to 20,000 individuals residing in 295 villages across the Western and Rift Valley regions of Kenya.

While a similar program in California would look vastly different due to the wide-ranging incomes found in the state, Mitchell and Haney were inspired by aspects of the project. The mobile money distribution system that villagers use allows individuals to receive cash transfers via mobile phone apps without being connected to a bank.

“Cash performs better than some of the other critical services that we in government prioritize,” Mitchell told the LA Times. “We create this cliff effect: if people do what we ask them to do like go to school or get a raise, then we drop them from the social safety net. My dream is for us to rethink the way we administer these programs and create a culture shift and cut some of the red tape.”

Existing programs in California are limited and in early development stages but have been met with support from the Legislature.