By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Take heed! Be on your guard! Things that will appear to be good, will not be good at all. Because the Antichrist is here, and not yet here. Not yet here in its consummation, but already here in significant fulfillments. Be on guard! Be alert! Because it won’t be long now before this evil and ruthless man will be ruling this world. [2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-7, 9]. He is “already” here, and he is “not yet” here. [1 John 4:3]. In fact, John goes so far as to say: “You have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come” [1 John 2:18]. This is a call to live a sober life of alertness and faithfulness. Your mind should be girded for action [1 Peter 1:13]. You should put on the whole armor of God [Ephesians 6:13–18]. This is all the more urgent, for you to know how late it is; time is running out. [Romans 13:11]. A massive deception is coming. All we see taking place is moving the world right into the final conflict and deception. I’m not just blowing smoke here or coming up with some fun theory. What I am telling you is the absolute truth of God – it is not fiction, not fantasy, not a myth– this is straight from the Word of God. Might you be awake.  Might you be alert. Might you be ready. Because I tell you, it is almost showtime. A cataclysmic event will soon take place that will change the world. Take heed! Be on guard! Watch and pray!

“For, he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, understand, [daughter] of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end. [Daniel 8:17]. He said, listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. [Daniel 8:19].  So, as the year end and the new year begin, do not be deceived. Take heed! Be on your guard because the Book of [Revelation 13] prophesied of two ‘beast’ powers, [nations] which would be the main end time kingdoms to deceive the world into receiving the mark of the beast. Those two beast powers are the very ones causing the troubles behind the scenes and then they will come in front stage to appear as ‘saviors’ to bring ‘peace.’ [Daniel 7:23; Revelation 13] but it is all part of the deception to gain control over the world. Do not be deceived. Nothing in your life will remain the same. Wake up! Pay attention! Be vigilant in watchfulness as Gideons army of 300 men described in [Judges 7:1-7].

What I say to you, I say to everyone, “Be on the alert, stay awake and be continually cautions. [Mark 13:37]. If you don’t recognize this, then you are unprepared for what is to come. The news is full of Bible prophecy fulfilling events now, and there can be no doubt that we are living in the last days. Don’t wait until it’s too late to escape the snare. Be vigilant and pray!

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” [1 Thessalonians 5:3].

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The Board of Education of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) decided unanimously at its December 13 meeting to fill a vacancy on the governing body through a temporary appointment, avoiding a costly special election.

Interested applicants who live within the SBCUSD attendance boundaries can apply for consideration starting Wednesday, December 14 by downloading an application at www.sbcusd.com/sbcusdboard. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. At its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2023, Board members will discuss the interview process and finalize interview questions. On January 24, 2023, trustees will interview candidates and then appoint someone to serve the remaining two years of Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers’ term. The appointee would be sworn in on February 7, 2023.

A vacancy on the seven-member Board opened with the resignation of Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers, who voters elected last month to represent Area D on the San Bernardino County Board of Education. Two years remain in Dowdy-Rodgers’ term on the SBCUSD Board of Education.

School board members are locally elected public officials entrusted with governing a community’s public schools. The role of a school board is to ensure that the district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the communities it serves. Boards fulfill this role by setting direction and policy, ensuring accountability, and providing community leadership as advocates for children and families, the school district, and public schools. Authority is granted to the Board as a whole, not each member individually. Board members work together as a governance team with the superintendent to make decisions that best serve all the students in the community.

ATLANTA, GA—- Pittsburgh Yards, a mission-driven entrepreneurial development on the southside of Atlanta, is a community of more than 140 Black-owned and run businesses and organizations that is community-inspired. Its mission is simple – to serve as a catalyst to spur economic equity, job growth and entrepreneurship to benefit area residents and entrepreneurs throughout Atlanta for future generations. Situated in the historic Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh with a rich history (352 University Avenue), Phase I of Pittsburgh Yards was completed in 2020 and included James Bridges Field, the infrastructure for the pad sites for future development, and The Nia Building, which serves as the development’s nerve center and hub. Named after one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa – Nia means purpose in the African language of Swahili. The word “purpose” defines the mission of Pittsburgh Yards as a place to create unprecedented opportunities for the community and beyond. What happens at Pittsburgh Yards and through the businesses there personifies the principles of Kwanzaa throughout the year.

As Pittsburgh Yards delivers against its purpose and mission and encourages mission-driven businesses and organizations to join and become coworking members or tenants, many of the businesses bring the seven principles of Kwanzaa to life. Here are just a few:

Umoja (Unity) – Stakeholders within the community came together in 2017 through numerous community meetings and work groups to engage in creating the spirit of Pittsburgh Yards, from the actual name to the art from local artists throughout The Nia Building. The space was designed for collective productivity and as an enjoyable place to work and collaborate with a vibrant group of like- minded entrepreneurs and businesses. As Pittsburgh Yards evolves and grows, husband and wife team, Anthony and Sharon Pope, principles of Atelier 7 Architects, LLC, are at the center of designing the ten shipping container retail spaces for the future Container Courtyard that will be situated adjacent to an access point to Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) – Born in Atlanta, Mary-Pat Hector is a graduate of Spelman College and a current graduate student at Georgia State University. She began community organizing at the age of 12 years old. At the age of 18, she was one of the youngest community leaders to advise President Barack Obama on criminal justice reform in the oval office. By the age of 19, she became the youngest woman and person of color to run for public office in the state of Georgia, losing by only 22 votes. She is the founder of Equity for All, an organization that develops that develops successful get-out-the-vote programs for partners across the South. Hector finds inspiration in this quote by Coretta Scott King: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) – Our Village United, the collaborative partner and organization that leads the programming and curates community culture for Pittsburgh Yards, is grounded in the core belief that by serving the whole business, the entire community prospers economically and holistically. Through their work, they support the growth of Black solopreneurs and microbusinesses by delivering targeted technical assistance and shared professional services that not only focus on the health of the business but also the health of the business owner to empower and elevate small businesses to grow and scale.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) – Malika Redmond is CEO and co-founder of Women Engaged, an initiative that uses a creative, hands-on learning approach to advancing Black women’s human rights, youth empowerment and civic engagement efforts in Georgia, offering leadership development opportunities, public policy advocacy, and year-round non-partisan voter engagement campaigns. She solicited the talents of Amber Lawson, the president/CEO of Aspire Construction & Design to design and build out her office space at Pittsburgh Yards. Aspire is a commercial design-build general contractor providing entrepreneurs like Malika and Women Engaged a one stop shop for design and construction services. She launched Aspire to provide opportunities for under-represented demographics in the architecture and construction industry. Her real passion is imagining the possibilities of a space – building something different than what was there yesterday, and doing that for other entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs.

Nia (Purpose) – Reggie Hammond, CEO of Your Crescendo, empowers individuals, teams, leaders and organizations to connect their work to their purpose. This includes coaching, strategic planning, high performing team building and placement services – all centered in purpose.

Kuumba (Creativity) – There’s no shortage of creativity at Pittsburgh Yards. In addition to having an artist studio, there’s an inspirational, art-centered environment in which to work. From coworking member, Thomas Gray, CEO of Zwenty 58 Entertainment, the creator of Adult Game Nights games, to Destiny Brewton, CEO of A House Called Hue, which is more than a high-quality embroidery company, but also a business that has become an incubator for local creatives in the community, thus developing more artists in Atlanta. And then there’s Sharon Brooks Hodge, CEO and managing partner of Phenomenal Media Productions, a company that creates multimedia content relevant to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black businesses. It includes content development and traditional media, new media, social media, and corporate communications.

Imani (Faith) – “Chin up champ, you’ve got this!” is the quote Danielle Walker, CEO and founder of BLKGTV Network LLC, has used to motivate herself, even before she was an entrepreneur in the business of helping independent filmmakers maximize their revenue growth through viewership by providing a controlled environment for them to host their content. Although she’s had her business for 9 years under the parent company YJLM LLC, BLKGTV Network was founded in 2021. According to Walker, being a part of the community has elevated her confidence in her ability to grow her company to its fullest potential.

“Pittsburgh Yards is motivating and inspiring because you are in a building with like- minded individuals — all working towards one real goal and that’s to be the change we want to see,” said Walker. “Pittsburgh Yards is a movement. It represents hope.”

You can explore more businesses by going to the 2022 Pittsburgh Yards Gift & Giving Guide.
More information about becoming a Pittsburgh Yards coworking member or tenant can be found at PittsburghYards.com or by visiting the community in person and taking a tour on the second Thursday of every month at 11:30 a.m. or at 2:30 p.m. at 352 University Avenue in Atlanta. Contact Pittsburgh Yards via email at info@pittsburghyards.com or by phone at 470-890-5030.

MORE PHOTOS of Pittsburgh Yards and business owners mentioned in this story can be found here. SIDEBAR: To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses – Make it a New Year’s Resolution

During the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, wealth and access to capital inequities were exposed as having a significant impact on Black communities and Black-owned businesses, becoming national news. Despite the systemic-based challenges the pandemic brought to light, it also inspired many to pivot, grow and spurred the creation of new Black-owned businesses, showing resilience to change. A leading public policy organization, the Brookings Institute, reported there are 7,539 Black-owned businesses in Metro Atlanta that create approximately 6 jobs on average per firm. Supporting Black entrepreneurs and helping them grow and gain access to the tools needed to scale their businesses is an essential component to rectifying the inequity that exists. The institute issued a report supporting this concept, “To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses.” Unique to the Pittsburgh Yards ecosystem is the strategic technical support offered to coworking members and business tenants offered by Our Village United.

BLOOMINGTON, CA— On December 14th, San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. will be hosting a food truck and toy giveaway for all the students and staff at Crestmore Elementary School in Bloomington, California. Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.  has partnered with California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Probation, Sheriff’s, Code Enforcement and Fire Department for this event and will be serving The Habit Burger Grill to the students and hosting the toy giveaway. The young students will be able to choose a toy of their liking right in time for the holidays.

“As Fifth District Supervisor, I believe that no student and school should ever be left behind. Every student deserves the same privileges and services to assist in shaping their futures, as these children are our future. Crestmore Elementary School is home to some of our most underserved population and I believe small things such as hosting a food and toy giveaway can really brighten the holidays for our youth. The time is now to help our local educators and children, and events like this can and will set them on the right track to stay optimistic to their goals. We are looking forward to this event!”  -Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Marc Philpart was named executive director of the California Black Freedom Fund in April 2022.

The five-year $100 million fund is an initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

On December 13th, the fund announced $1 million in general operating support to be distributed to five Black power-building organizations in Los Angeles. This is the fund’s fifth round of grants to date, with a total of approximately $26 million in investments that are building Black power across the state. Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), Dignity & Power Now, Students Deserve, The Hub at LA Black Worker Center, and Youth Justice Coalition were recipients of the funding to supercharge their organizing efforts in 2023 and beyond.

California Black Media asked Philpart to reflect on the past year and share his plans for 2023.

With the work you do advocating for African Americans in California, what was your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

The California Black Freedom Fund is a five-year, $100 million initiative to ensure that Black power-building and movement-based organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism.

The first state-based fund of its kind, the California Black Freedom Fund prioritizes investments in the courageous and visionary grassroots advocates and community leaders who are transforming our cities, our state — and our world.

In 2022, across three rounds of grants, the California Black Freedom Fund invested approximately $11.8M in Black led power building organizations and networks across California.

What did you find most challenging over the past year?

Part of our work is to organize and educate the philanthropic sector on the giving gap and needs facing Black power building organizations in California.

Philanthropy has a shared opportunity and responsibility to marshal our resources in order to tackle systemic racism and anti-Blackness in communities across California.

We believe that private and corporate philanthropy has a huge opportunity to prioritize building the power and capacity of Black-led organizations as a strategic imperative.

I look forward to working with philanthropic leaders throughout California in the next year and beyond on this goal.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

We are excited to develop programs that can support the advocacy, research, and programming needs of Black power building organizations throughout California. By creating and accelerating a new statewide ecosystem of Black-led organizations confronting racism and anti-Blackness, this fund aims to affect the culture, policy and systems changes necessary to realize equity and justice in California.

What’s the biggest challenge Black Californians will face next year?

Our communities must prepare for a mass civic engagement effort that will dramatically expand the Black electorate in the 2024 election. Black power building organizations will need to advocate for new laws, educate and register voters, and innovate new approaches to voter turnout.

What’s your wish for this holiday season?

My one wish is that people keep ever present the threat that Black communities face with so much injustice in the world and give to Black led power building organizations in their communities or to the California Black Freedom Fund to support the critical work happening throughout the state. You can donate to CBFF here.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Four trustees, two of them newly elected, were sworn into the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education on December 13.

Former trustees Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers and Dr. Barbara Flores were thanked for their service and leadership and were presented special framed resolutions, photo collages, and a commemorative trophy.

In November Dowdy-Rodgers was elected to represent Area D on the San Bernardino County Board of Education.

The Board welcomed newly elected trustees Mikki Cichocki and Mary Ellen Abilez Grande. Bursts of applause followed as returning Board members Danny Tillman and Abigail Rosales-Medina were sworn in and took their seats on the dais. The two newcomers, as well as Tillman and Rosales-Medina, were elected in November.

An hour-long reception attended by more than 100 people preceded the swearing in.

The Board also held its annual organizational meeting Tuesday, re-electing Dr. Scott Wyatt to his second year as Board president and Tillman as vice president.

Although new to the Board, the new trustees are very familiar with SBCUSD, having dedicated their educational careers to teaching the children of San Bernardino and Highland for decades.

Cichocki recently retired from SBCUSD after a long and successful career in and out of the classroom. A former elementary school teacher and graduate of the District, Cichocki most recently worked for the Positive Youth Development Department as a member of the District’s student Attendance Review Board and was part of pioneering work to reduce bullying and expand restorative justice practices.

Grande, a graduate of San Bernardino Valley College and Cal State San Bernardino, also taught in the District, working with older special education students at Anderson School. Her three daughters graduated from District schools.

Proud to be “someone with actual on-the-ground, in-the-classroom experience with students and parents day in and day out,” Grande is a proponent of community-centered schools and increased parent engagement, believing that “parents in San Bernardino would benefit from exposure to opportunities in training, internships, and even apprenticeships in the skilled trades, just like our high school students do.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Saturday, December 17, Miss Black Awareness Liyah Blevins was crowned by Mrs. California USA Tee Lee. Members of the 2022-23 court are Teen Princess Si’Yae Pernell, Jr., Teen Miss Princess Chardonna Dixon, Jr. Teen Miss Duchess Serenity Tim’s, Young Miss Princess Sencerity Tim’s, and Young Miss Duchess Kylee Brown.  The Royal party was started. Their first engagement is January 16, 2023, in the San Bernardino Martin Luther King Parade.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Winter Break began Friday, December 16, 2022, for the vast majority of San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) students. Students return to class on Monday, January 9, 2023.

The district’s non-school-based offices are open with limited hours December 19–22, 2022. Visitors may be required to make an appointment before in-person visits to District offices the week of December 19.

All SBCUSD schools and offices will be closed Friday, December 23, 2022, through Monday, January 2, 2023. The district is asking the public to help keep schools safe during the winter break. If you See Something, Say Something by calling our hotline at (909) 388-6043 to report suspicious activity, crimes, or safety concerns at our schools. All tips are anonymous.

District offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Inland Career Education Center (ICEC) reopens Wednesday, January 4, 2023. TK–12 students return to school Monday, January 9. SBCUSD is encouraging students and staff to take an over the counter COVID test the weekend before returning to school or work. Anyone who tests positive is asked to stay home.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Garcia Center for the Arts in San Bernardino will be hosting an exhibit of local artist Phil Yeh’s work this month. The show will include watercolors, giclee prints, and oil paintings, many of which are from pages featured in his graphic novels and books. Several pieces are from his newest book, Places, a book of 126 watercolors of places he has been during his 37-year world tour.

One of the images in the book is “San Bernardino”, depicting the mural that Yeh has been working on since 2012, on the museum at the site of the original McDonald’s on 14th & E Streets. The mural on the south side of the building features some of the people who have made San Bernardino unique.

Phil Yeh has written and illustrated more than 90 books, comics, and graphic novels. He published one of the first American graphic novels in 1977 and is known as the ‘Godfather of the Modern American Graphic Novel’.

In addition, Yeh founded “Cartoonists across America & The World” in 1985 to promote literacy, creativity, and the arts through mural painting events, school and library workshops on comics and his series of non-violent and humorous books. Yeh and his band of fellow artists have painted more than 1,800 colorful murals promoting literacy in more than 15 countries.

Yeh’s work has had solo shows in galleries in San Francisco, Carmel, and New York City and has been a part of group shows in Hawaii, Arizona, and California.  His reading dinosaurs were featured in a five-month art exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2006 and in many campaigns promoting reading and recycling all over the world, including a national postage stamp in Hungary in 1990.

Yeh was honored in the White House by former First Lady Barbara Bush, who also painted a mural with him in The Library of Congress. He has received numerous awards around the country, including an Alphie Award from the Los Angeles County Library Foundation at Sony Pictures Studios along with actor Edward James Olmos and Imperial Toy Company CEO Dr. Fred Kort.

The opening day of the exhibit is December 10, during the Garcia Center’s 2^nd annual Cosmic Comic Fest. Phil will present a “Meet the Artist” talk at 4:00 PM that day.  The show will run through December 31, 2022. He will have books available for purchase in addition to his art.

For more about Phil Yeh and his work visit https://www.wingedtiger.com/fine-art

The Garcia Center for the Arts is located at 536 W. 11^th Street in San Bernardino. https://www.facebook.com/sanbernardinoart

By Sunita Sohrabji

“Test and treat, and you can beat COVID!”

As Californians brace for a winter surge of COVID infections, that’s the message of Dr. Rita Nguyen, speaking at an online news conference on behalf of the California Department of Public Health’s COVID 19 Treatments Task Force.

Her message was echoed by four frontline medical practitioners serving some of the most vulnerable populations in the state.

“We are in the winter surge,” said Dr. Nguyen, who directs the Population Health Division of CDPH. “We are already seeing increases in hospitalization rates for COVID. Rates are increasing and we expect to see even more as we head through December.”

But there is a unique opportunity to address the crisis head-on, Nguyen emphasized. “This is the first winter surge of a three-year pandemic where we actually have treatments that are highly effective, readily available, and free to anyone over the age of 12.”

The challenge, Nguyen noted, is that most people aren’t accessing the treatments.

Paxlovid, or its alternative Molnupiravir, are antivirals and they are free to everyone, even those who lack health insurance or are undocumented. Remdesivir, which is given via infusions, is not free: costs vary with the level of insurance coverage. All three treatments are time sensitive. Paxlovid or Molnupiravir, must be started within the first five days after symptoms start; remdesivir must be started within seven days

Timely treatment can prevent the severity of the infection by 50% to 88%. Even among those who are vaccinated, it decreases risk of long-term COVID, by 45% to 50%. Paxlovid treatment in 2022 alone averted an estimated 16,000 – 48,000 severe hospitalizations in California, and an estimated 10,000 deaths, according to Nguyen.

But while treatment supplies are plentiful, access challenges remain huge.

The digital divide Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, executive director of the Latino Coalition for Health Equity, believes lack of internet access and digital skills may be the biggest obstacle.
He cited the case of his mother who recently tested positive for COVID-19. She had phoned her clinic to try to get a doctor but had been waiting all day for a return phone call. Turner Lloveras also called his mother’s clinic, but was forced to leave a voice mail which was not returned.

“As a physician, I am very aware of the benefits of getting early treatment with Paxlovid,” he said. When he sent a message to the clinic’s online patient portal, he got a call back within an hour. “It made me realize that almost every social determinant of health now is enveloped by the need to have internet access and the ability to navigate the World Wide Web.”

More than 35% of Latino workers have no digital skills, and 20% have just limited digital skills, Turner-Lloveras added, noting that digital inclusion now impacts most factors in modern society, including the ability to get a job and support a family.

“Without digital literacy and digital skills, you’re offering gas to a family that has no car. Telehealth is a valuable resource but cannot be used without those skills.”

Dr. Oliver Brooks, chief medical officer of the Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles, concurred with Turner-Lloveras. He noted that 1 out of 5 Black households have no internet access, limiting their ability to access healthcare in a timely manner. He stressed the importance of testing as soon as any symptom appears: runny nose, cough, gastric distress, fever, and other conditions.

The Black community has much lower rates of treatment, not because it wasn’t accessible, but because it isn’t offered to them, said Brooks. “Treatment doesn’t work if you don’t take it or get offered it. So as a person you need to advocate, you need to know about treatments and then say, ‘I tested positive. Do I take this pill? Do I take something?’”

According to new data from the CDPH shared by Dr. Nguyen, 37% of White patients who presented with COVID symptoms received treatment, while only 20% of Black people got access to care.

Treatment for older adults, rural communities One of the most vulnerable populations are adults who are 65 years and older and account for nearly 90% of COVID deaths.

Dr. Wynnelena Canio, who specializes in geriatric medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Petaluma, Ca., and is an advisor with the California Department of Aging, noted that “as people age, we accumulate chronic conditions that cause us to have decreased reserves with which to compensate or recover from stressors such as infection.

“A lot of older adults become more frail, losing more muscle mass and becoming more dependent on others after hospitalization. That in turn leads to more disability and possible institutionalization.”

Early treatment of any conditions in older adults has proven to have better outcomes, Canio emphasized. That includes especially getting the new updated boosters, which only 12% of Americans overall have received.

Dr. Jasmeet Kaur Bains, a family physician from Kern County in California’s Central Valley, who was just elected to the California State Assembly, spoke about the challenges in accessing health care for rural residents.

Bains, who grew up in the county, said when she was a child, a pediatrician could usually be seen within a day. Today, it can take two to three months.

The pandemic brought accelerated rates of retirement for doctors and skyrocketing unemployment rates. As people lost their jobs, they also lost health insurance coverage, Bains noted. Language barriers added to the access challenges. Many resources were not available in Spanish or Punjabi, two commonly spoken languages in Kern County. Added to this, issues like poor air quality and resulting lung disease led to high levels of hospitalization and deaths in her region.

“The lens needs to be focused here. The surge is real, it’s happening and it’s at the detriment of areas like rural California.”

Access issues notwithstanding, all five physicians agreed that getting tested and treated early is the message underserved communities need to hear.

“Don’t wait till the illness gets worse,” said Nguyen. “If you start feeling a runny nose, cough, or generally not like yourself, act fast and take a COVID test. If you test positive, seek treatment right away.”