By Barbara Arnwine

I’ve fought for civil rights my entire career. In fact, in honor of my late mother, Vera Pearl Arnwine, I will tell you that my actual birth was amidst a fight for justice and equality to desegregate a White Hospital that refused to service the African Americans in the nearby community.

After being driven past the White hospital during two previous labors, my mom was determined to force change. She purposefully waited until her contractions were advanced and called the ambulance, which seeing her state, took her to the nearest hospital, the White hospital. When the White nurses tried to refuse service, the examining doctor said it was too late and ordered, “We got to deliver this baby.” Thus, my mom defied the “Whites Only” designation and ultimately won as she gave birth to me, the first Black to force the integration of the now closed Seaside Hospital in Long Beach, California.

Being born a “civil rights protest baby” It is no wonder that I went on to graduate from Duke University School of Law and became president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where I served for more than 26 years.

That hospital story, of course relayed to me by my mother, is quite relevant during this season in which we not only celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but we escalate our commemoration of Black History. Now, as founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, I remain keenly focused on issues of justice from every walk of life.

In 2023, one aspect of civil rights and racial justice that barely remains addressed is racial inclusion in media ownership. It’s high time to irrigate that fallow civil rights ground as America’s access to trusted, credible and diverse local and national news sources is the key to democracy. There is far too much misinformation and non-inclusion out there; especially impacting communities of color.

An article by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, headlined, “The Abysmal State of Media Ownership Diversity in America,” says that “Access to the media by the broadest sector of society is crucial to ensuring that diverse viewpoints are presented to the American people, but racial and gender disparities in media ownership that date back to the beginning of the civil rights era continue to persist. Diverse voices in the media landscape help to ensure that diverse topics and perspectives are presented to counter disinformation and misinformation.”

The article continues, “At a time when more people, particularly Black people, are distrustful of the media, diversity in media ownership has become more important than ever for the functioning of our democracy. Diversity in ownership is part of that solution.”

This crucial issue is the reason that my good friends and colleagues in the current civil rights movement are going on the record in support of Standard General’s application before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to acquire TEGNA, a media company which owns more than 60 television stations across the country. Those colleagues include Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, president/CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Standard General has a proven record of investing in local news and enhancing diversity with a goal to have newsrooms look like the communities they serve.

Enhancing media diversity is a primary objective at the FCC, but it has a lot of work to do. The FCC just reported that Blacks account for only 3% of majority interests in full-power TV stations with Asian Americans at only 1%. Now it has a chance to really show that it cares about this goal as the Standard General transaction would radically enhance minority media ownership of broadcast channels. Asian-American Soo Kim, Standard General’s Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, has expressed commitment to helping newsrooms evolve and stay relevant in this age of on-demand content.

One of my primary venues for taking stances on civil rights issues is my 8-year-old radio show, “Igniting Change with Barbara Arnwine,” heard weekly on Tuesdays at Noon on Radio One’s WOL 1450 a.m. During the hour-long show, I have spent much time discussing voter participation and suppression. Based on the questions and concerns expressed by my listeners on the call-in format, it is clear that preserving local news and making it better and more reflective of the changing faces of America will make our democracy stronger and produce more informed voters. We cannot get this done without aggressively irrigating and sowing into the now fallow ground of minority media ownership. This is a goal that we must all share and promote.

Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq, is president & founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and former president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Listen, when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, let him that readeth understand, then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house… And let him that is in the field not turn back. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! For in the days to come shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be… And if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce. Behold, I have foretold you all things. Take ye heed, watch and pray. What I say unto you I say unto all. [Mark 13].

Wake up! Discern the times. The hour is late! I don’t say that to scare you, but to prepare you. Many of the things that Jesus Himself describe as initial indicators of the last days are happening now. In [Matthew 12], Jesus told us that in the last days there will be people falsely coming in His name, wars and threats of wars, food shortage, earthquakes, and intensified persecution of God’s people, and a mass falling away. And all that Bible Prophecy said would happen, is happening right before our eyes, [Revelation 3:10] and all who are not firmly established upon God’s Word and the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be deceived and overcome. Understand, Satan “works with all power and signs and lying wonders with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” [2 Thessalonians 2:9-10] to gain control of mankind, and his deceptions will increase right up to the very end.

Please surrender your life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For we are truly living in the end times now, and as the Bible reveals in [Revelation 12], Satan has come down to this earth with “great fury” knowing that his time is short, and he is using all his power to deceive us and keep us from Jesus Christ.

I tell you; the enemy is approaching! Do not be complacent. We can all see that something is awry in our world. All of the alarm bells are sounding. Even people around the world who don’t understand biblical prophecy can sense something has gone wrong. I admonish you to repent and turn to Jesus Christ before it is too late! Because the final crisis is coming! A man of Lawlessness, the Anti-Christ, the Beast.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.”(Joel 3:14) Are you saved?

By Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

For some, it may be hard to imagine barely escaping alive from one of the biggest mass genocides in world history, or hearing stories about family members who were the victims of a catastrophe of that magnitude. But for Jewish Americans living in California that scenario is a painful and present truth that they live with, respectfully acknowledging and memorializing it every year.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), commemorated yearly on January 27, is a memorial day established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 to honor victims (and their families) who suffered from the German genocide that lasted more than a decade. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the day of commemoration was established for several purposes. Among them are serving as an official date to honor victims of the Nazi regime and promoting Holocaust education worldwide.

In Jewish communities, January 27 is known as Yom HaShoah. Families and communities will often light Yahrzeit candles — Yahrzeit means anniversary (specifically related to someone’s death) — to honor those who were murdered in the Holocaust. The candle burns for 24 hours, and it is custom to light it at sundown on the day before Yom HaShoah. Occasionally, electric Yahrzeit candles are used as a substitute and are plugged into a wall in places like hospitals, for safety reasons.

In Los Angeles, at the Holocaust Museum LA, visitors can see firsthand artifacts that were personal items from survivors and other memorabilia. This museum, founded in 1961, is the oldest survivor-founded Holocaust exhibit in the United States that is solely focused on the impact of the mass genocide. The experience is free for students, and the museum offers tours, educational programs, and conversations with survivors meant to inspire critical thinking and show the Holocaust’s current social relevance.

Morgan Blum Schneider, Director of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center, says that she is dedicated to raising social awareness about Jewish history and inspiring social responsibility.

“The JFCS Holocaust Center was founded by Holocaust survivors through perseverance and determination to fight antisemitism. We continue to share their testimony with thousands of students each year,” said Schneider. “This week, in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and every week throughout the year, the JFCS Holocaust Center works in partnership with CA teachers to bring lessons of the Holocaust and genocide into classrooms throughout California to inspire social responsibility and moral courage in today’s youth.”

The JFCS Holocaust Center is a program of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties. It holds more than 13,000 books and several thousand documents, photographs, and artifacts in the Tauber Holocaust Library and Archives.

For Brandon Brooks, director of California Black Media’s Stop the Hate Project, it is critical for Californians — and all Americans — to recognize and uplift the experiences and perspectives of their neighbors from other ethnic groups. Funded by the California State Library, the Stop the Hate project aims to eradicate hate crimes and hate incidents in the state and promote inter-cultural understanding and cooperation.

“For Black Americans, the way we identify with the horror stories of the Holocaust is immediate and deeply sympathetic. It is a recognition based, in part, on our own collective memory of slavery, exclusion and suffering because of who we are – not what we did – as a people,” he says. “The only way we, Americans from all backgrounds, can begin to do something about the division, misunderstanding and normalization of racial and ethnic hatred that we see trying to flourish in our society is to fight it by learning; push back on it by listening. Get to know about each other’s histories, celebrate each other’s traditions, embrace the things that unite us as Americans and take a hard, uncompromising stance against hatred in any form and the violence it triggers.”

Notably, the dedication to honoring IHRD extends incredibly far beyond California, where there are an estimated 1.19 million people of Jewish descent (about 3% of the state’s population), based on U.S. Census numbers compiled by World Population Review.

According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, 39 countries participated in IHRD commemorating ceremonies in 2015. Many of those countries hosted lectures, showed films, or lit candles while reading names of the victims. Additionally, many participating countries established their own remembrance days that linked to events caused by the Holocaust.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — established in 1945 to promote international cooperation through education, science, and culture — has also fought to counter antisemitism and other forms of group-targeted violence.

“The Holocaust profoundly affected countries in which Nazi crimes were perpetrated, with universal implications and consequences in many other parts of the world,” reads the UNESCO site. “As genocide and atrocity crimes keep occurring across several regions, and as we are witnessing a global rise of antisemitism and hate speech, [sharing a collective responsibility] has never been so relevant.”

This California Black Media feature was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

NATUNA SEA—Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Zachary Jacoban, from San Bernardino, California, removes chaff shells from launchers aboard Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Oakland (LCS 24) as the ship sails in the Natuna Sea, Jan. 19, 2023. Oakland, part of Destroyer Squadron 7, is on a rotational deployment operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

By Kara James, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Nurse Practitioner

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and a reminder to continue empowering my patients at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles with information about cervical cancer and its impact on their health.

Every 5 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with one of the five gynecological cancers – cervical, ovarian, uterine/endometrial, vaginal, or vulvar – totaling more than 109,000 Americans each year, according to the Foundation of Women’s Cancer. The common narrative around Black women and cervical cancer is that we are “disproportionately” affected by it. The truth is that cervical cancer is one of the most preventable. Still, because of health care disparities, systemic racism, and long-held inequities, it remains life-threatening for thousands of Black women every year.

Usually diagnosed at later stages due to a variety of factors – including lack of information, misinformation, and mistrust of a historically racist medical system — Black women are twice as likely to lose their lives to cervical cancer as non-Latino white women.  Reproductive oppression and medical mistreatment in Black communities have also played a significant role in dissatisfaction with care, ineffective patient-provider communication, and mistrust in providers.

For many Black women, mistrust of the medical system has been passed down for generations, well into the 21st century. These lived experiences have resulted in a deep wariness of preventive medicine and health screenings, including Pap smears. When discussing Pap smears and vaccines as the path to preventing cervical cancer, I empathize with my patients’ fears. Not only do I educate them about the benefit of regular Pap smears, which can detect abnormal changes in the cervix, but I also explain that cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted infection, human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, 80% of the population is exposed to this sexually transmitted infection, without symptoms, either in their throat, anus, or vagina. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is estimated to cause nearly 37,300 cases of cancer in men and women every year in the United States. HPV vaccinations could prevent 92.3 percent of these cancer-causing infections.

The HPV vaccine is recommended starting at age 11 or 12, before becoming sexually active, and can be given as a routine vaccination for people up to age 26 and, in some cases, up to 42 years old. Anyone with a cervix should get regularly scheduled Pap smears as recommended by a health care provider.

Through our work at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’s Black Health Initiative, we provide patient-centered care in a non-judgmental environment. We believe in providing a safe space to come, talk and learn, in simple everyday terms, about cervical cancer, sexual health, and other issues that impact Black communities.

As a Black nurse practitioner who lives, works and educates in Black communities throughout Los Angeles, I hope my presence helps to decrease the anxiety and fear often associated with medical care and empowers Black patients to seek the information and care they need.

For more information on cervical cancer, HPV, and cancer screenings, or to locate a Planned Parenthood health center, visit plannedparenthood.org.  The new year is the perfect time to focus on your health and schedule a checkup. With the HPV vaccine and routine checkups, we can protect our health and that of other Black women in our lives.

Kara James is a Nurse Practitioner with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, providing trauma-informed direct clinical care to patients since 2015. As an evidenced-based clinician and activist, Kara’s work is framed through racial equity and anti-racism. She also played a vital role in creating the Black Health Initiative in 2020 to promote holistic well-being and health in Los Angeles’ Black communities.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Omnitrans CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers has been named “Woman of the Year” by the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) –Inland Empire chapter.

“It is an honor to be acknowledged for my work in the industry I have dedicated my career to and have Omnitrans recognized for the strategic and important work the agency is doing,” said Rogers.

“I am proud of Omnitrans’ initiatives to connect our community, and of our team.”

Rogers was nominated and selected by WTS member voting for her leadership in transit service innovation and effectiveness, and her development of women in key roles. Omnitrans’ senior leadership team is 50 percent female, including the agency’s first female director of maintenance. The agency also partners with WTS on events such Classroom to Career days to expose students to professional possibilities in the industry and build the next generation of transit leaders.

WTS’s mission is to attract, sustain, connect, and advance women’s careers to strengthen the transportation industry. “[Rogers] is inspirational,” said WTS Inland Empire Chapter President Stephanie Blanco.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation’s 30^th Black Rise Awards winners will be recognized at the annual banquet on Saturday, February 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the California State University, San Bernardino Santos Manuel Statdium located at 5500 University Parkway.

In remembrance of Dr. Margret Hill, the Black Culture foundation has renamed its Margret Hill Community Support Award to the Dr. Margret Hill Black Rose Young Adults Inspiration Award. This award will present scholarships to two inspirational and outstanding San Bernardino Black young adults graduating grade 12 or in college.

“This year’s Award Gala is held to commemorate Rosa Parks’ birthday,” said Black Rose Committee Co-Chair, Jim King.

The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded in 1986 to honor and share the richness of our Black heritage, to recognize world diversity and inspire our youth/young adults toward leadership, providing scholarships and career opportunities.

Individual tickets are $75 each. Tables are also available for $600. For more information ob becoming a sponsor or to purchase tickets, go to www.evenbrite.com/e/30th-black-rose-awards-banquet-tickets-491089169927

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- With a recently approved Homeless Action Plan in place and a commitment to spend over $20 million on a solution, San Bernardino leaders on February 1st will discuss declaring a Homeless State of Emergency. San Bernardino would join Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Los Angeles County in declaring such an emergency.

“We want to make it clear to our residents that addressing homelessness is San Bernardino’s priority number one,” said Mayor Helen Tran. “We must focus our efforts, implement our plan, and demand nothing less than better results.”

By declaring a homeless emergency, the San Bernardino can set policies to accelerate the implementation of its recently approved Homeless Action Plan. In addition, the city will be setting up a Homeless Task Force, made up of City leaders, department heads, service providers and advocates that will meet regularly to monitor the Action Plan’s progress.

At a Council workshop in November, City staff presented a comprehensive Homeless Action Plan that detailed multiple initiatives to enhance what is called the continuum of care, which includes prevention, outreach, emergency shelters, drug and mental health care, transitional housing, and affordable housing. Last month, the Council approved spending over $20 million it received from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund the Plan.

The Action Plan includes spending $12.4 million to construct a homeless navigation center. The navigation center would operate as a centralized point of individualized supportive services, including case management, housing assistance, mailbox services, job placement, substance abuse recovery, and health services. The facility would also include up to 100 short term housing units, possibly in the form of prefabricated “tiny homes.” With additional funding, the navigation center could be expanded to up to 200 units.

The City has also budgeted $1.5 million to create a homeless outreach team. Outreach team members will regularly engage with San Bernardino homeless to build trust and provide resources in the field. In most cases, it takes multiple contacts, sometimes dozens, before a homeless individual is willing to consider accepting assistance. In addition to the outreach, the city is considering purchasing a homeless management information system that can network outreach staff with City’s partners so an inventory of available beds, service appointments, and other resources are available in real time.

San Bernardino will partner with San Bernardino Valley Community College (SBVCC) and Lutheran Social Services to develop new housing projects. The SBVCC project, at a cost to the City of $900,000 will be located near the campus and house up to 60 students who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The Lutheran Social Services, at a cost of $5 million, will consist of up to 200 units and provide additional services to its residents.

The Council also approved adding twelve additional staff in the Public Works Department to significantly increase city wide cleanups, including homeless encampments, and $150,000 for a mobile shower and laundry.

With homelessness a problem throughout California, the city will be seeking additional funding to fully implement the Homeless Action Plan through grants and programs recently launched by the State, as well as continuing to work with non-profits, health care providers, and the County.

“A solution will take the skills and resources of many partners,” said Tran. “Our emergency declaration makes it clear that San Bernardino, its leadership, its staff, and its residents, are beyond our limit for what we are willing to accept. We are committed to addressing homelessness.”

By Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

Although it is celebrated in many countries around the world like Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is widely recognized as an important social and economic holiday — in China and places with significant Chinese populations.

In the Golden State, people of Chinese descent comprise 23% of all Asians and that sub-group in aggregate accounts for about 20% (5.8 million people) of the state’s population.

In Los Angeles, there are nearly 678,000 Chinese immigrants (not counting Chinese Americans who are second-generation Americans and beyond.)

Mei Mei Huff is the Executive Director of the ACT Against Hate Alliance (AAHA), a Los Angeles-based organization that is working to eliminate hate by targeting its root causes.

According to Huff, the Lunar New Year is a time when families get together and celebrate traditions over a warm dinner and fond memories.

“People get together to have family reunions and dinner. While different areas prepare different dishes to celebrate New Year, the sumptuous meal will include different kinds of meat, fresh vegetables, different seafood, dumplings, rice cakes, etc., and each item is designed to bring prosperity and abundance to our family members,” Huff said. “It is truly an important day in Eastern cultures, and it’s about celebrating the most meaningful things to you.”

The Lunar New Year, also referred to as the Spring Festival, signifies the arrival of spring and the start of a new year on the lunisolar calendar (based on the positions of the moon and sun).

The 2023 Lunar New Year begins on January 22 and traditionally the celebration runs for 15 days.

“Each year, the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or ‘signs’ along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos,” according to History.com.

The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

2023 is the year of the Rabbit.

In addition to the animals, five elements — earth, water, fire, wood and metal — are also mapped onto the traditional lunar calendar. Each year is associated with an animal that corresponds to an element.”

The Chinese New Year is thought to have originated in the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C., but its exact start day is unknown. It serves as a time for grand feasts to honor heavenly deities and ancestors. Hundreds of millions of people travel worldwide to go home and celebrate with their families.

Huff says fish is usually eaten as the last course of the Lunar New Year’s Eve meal to symbolize good luck. In the Chinese language, the pronunciation for “fish” is the same as the word for “abundance” or “surplus.” Because of this, the fish will not be totally eaten to signify that there will be surplus in the year to come.

Families frequently prepare for the Lunar New Year by thoroughly cleaning their houses, which represents ridding the area of evil spirits and opening space for good will and fortune.

“We would wear new clothes, and my father would light fireworks to ward off any evil spirits or demons around the house,” said Huff. “It’s a tradition to dispel all the demons and monsters to bring peace and health to the family.”

Some other traditions include elders giving out red envelopes that contain money to children. Red-paper couplets, intricate red paper-cut art, and red posters decorated with calligraphy messages of good health and fortune are placed on the doors, windows and around the homes.

Hongxia Xiao — going by the American name Sammie – is a San Francisco resident who immigrated from China more than 10 years ago. She says, since moving to the United States, she still cherishes the Lunar New Year traditions.

“No matter where I am, I will always celebrate the [Chinese] New Year,” said Sammie. “It represents getting rid of the old and bad, and bringing in the new.” She also celebrates by having leftover fish symbolizing that one will have a surplus in money, luck, love, and fortune in life.

San Francisco is reported to have the biggest Lunar New Year parade outside of Asia. It is a tradition that began during the Gold Rush era in the 1860s, when an influx of Chinese citizens immigrated to that region of the state.

The Lunar New Year celebration concludes with the Lantern Festival, which includes parades, dancing, games, and fireworks.

This California Black Media feature was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND releases globally on Netflix on February 8 and tells the remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon. Made in collaboration with Russell’s estate, this two-part film from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power) features one of Bill’s final interviews before his passing in 2022 as well as interviews with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.

Off the court, Russell was a force in the fight for human rights — marching with Martin Luther King Jr., leading boycotts in the NBA over racist practices and speaking out against segregation — efforts which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the clip below (posted on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead IG and Twitter), Bill Russell shares why he chose not to go on-stage with Martin Luther King Jr. at 1963’s March on Washington.

Download: Online Clip | Social Clip | Broadcast Clip | Image

FILM DETAILS:

BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND

RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2023

DIRECTOR: Sam Pollard

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg, Mike Richardson, Charles Rosenzweig

NARRATOR: Corey Stoll | BILL RUSSELL EXCERPTS READ BY: Jeffrey Wright

The definitive documentary about the life and legacy of NBA legend and civil rights icon Bill Russell from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI).  The film features exclusive interviews with Bill before his passing in 2022 as well as access to his sprawling personal archives. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold Medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and 11 championship titles in his thirteen-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black Head Coach in NBA history).  Features interviews with family and friends as well as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.