NATIONWIDE — At the age of 12, Elijah Muhammad has become a freshman at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) making history as the youngest Black college student in the entire state of Oklahoma.

Elijah, who is being homeschooled as a high school senior, is simultaneously majoring in cyber security at OCCC. He is currently enrolled in 3 classes including Computer Technology, Computer Hardware, and Computer Operating Systems.

Elijah recalled his classmates’ reactions when he first met them in class. “A bunch of them were like, ‘how old are you?’” he told KFOR News. “Once I told them my age, they all got surprised.”
Coming from a family of achievers, Elijah’s accomplishment did not come as a complete shock. His older sister, Shania Muhammad, made history just last May as the youngest person ever to graduate from both OCCC and Langston University at the age of 14.

Their father, Elijah Muhammad Sr., said the siblings always have healthy competition amongst them.

“When he sees her accomplish certain things, he’s like I’m up next and I can do it,” said Elijah Sr. “We are the cheering section for our scholars.”

However, Elijah acknowledges that despite them being competitive with each other, his older sister is a big help to him.

“We have a bunch of competitiveness. But she really helps me out with a lot of my studying,” said Elijah, who is on track to surpass his sister’s record of the youngest to graduate in the state.

Aside from being a historic outstanding student, Elijah is also a three-time state champion wrestler and an entrepreneur with his own clothing line called Smart Boy.

The Adrienne Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation brings Mardi Gras to Riverside with its annual Jazz on the Rooftop Fundraiser

RIVERSIDE, CA—-“Oh, those Mardi Gras Nights!”, that’s the theme for this year’s 4th Annual Jazz on the Rooftop fundraising event hosted by the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation (ADCR). The annual event will take place on Friday, October 21, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Riverside City Hall’s Rooftop located at 3900 Main Street in Riverside.

The entertainment for this year will be Lorie V. Moore and friends, and as usual there will be food and dancing throughout the night. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to get their tickets as early as possible.

Please come dress to impress with your favorite mask. There will be a prize for the best mask. Tickets on sale now and may be purchased at www.adcrfoundation.org.

ABOUT JAZZ ON THE ROOFTOP

Jazz on the Rooftop is an annual fundraiser with the goal of raising funds for the Foundation’s community efforts, which include: the Riverside Black History Parade & Expo, the Young Women’s Empowerment conference, and the Backpack Giveaway for school age students.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

On November 8, San Bernardino County voters will be presented with a choice on their ballot — leave the state of California and create the 51st state or remain the largest county in the nation.

A consortium in San Bernardino is the latest group of people proposing to alter the boundaries of the state of California. The group wants the county to secede from California and create a 51st state that would be called Empire.

According to real estate developer Jeff Burum, a member of the group, San Bernardino County is not getting its fair share from the state of California. The movement is supported by some local mayors such as Acquanetta Warren, mayor of Fontana, and Bill Velto, mayor of Upland.

“We cannot continue to beg, and crawl … to get resources for our county… Let’s step out and be bold about it and let the people decide what they want to do.” Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren told the San Bernadino Board of Supervisors.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman said, “I’m frustrated, too. I’m frustrated with the state of California. It’s becoming, more and more, ‘one size fits all’ for the greatest state in the nation.”

Burum claimed the move has “overwhelming” support. But he is basing his assessment on a survey of 400 San Bernardino County residents by Wallin Opinion Research.

There are more than 2.1 million people living in the county. San Bernardino is the fifth-most populous county in California and the largest in the nation by area. Geographically, it is larger than Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island combined.

The issue was first brought up at a meeting of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. And it has continued to be discussed at Board of Supervisors’ meetings over the past few months.

While Board Chair Hagman supports the move, Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., said he disagrees with the effort.

During public comment at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Jane Hunt-Ruble, a San Bernardino County resident, said she opposed the move. But she said it would be popular with people who held anti-government feelings.

“It’s never going to happen,” she said.

A group of Inland Empire-area legislators blasted the move in a joint letter.

“We are shocked with the reasoning behind this initiative, concerned about the cost to taxpayers to essentially ask local officials to do their jobs, and disappointed in the narrative being created regarding our community,” according to a letter signed by Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton,) State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino,) and Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona.)

The Inland Empire legislators also pointed out that in 2020, one-third of the county’s revenue came from state dollars.

However, the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors agreed to put the issue on the ballot. The county’s Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to put the secession measure on the 2022 ballot. One supervisor was absent.

According to a press statement, the question will be put on the November ballot.

It asks, “Do the people of San Bernardino County want San Bernardino County elected representatives to study and advocate for all options to obtain the county’s fair share of State funding up to and including secession from the State of California?”

Over the years, there have been several efforts led by various groups to partition California — or secede from the state. So far, none of them have succeeded.

The San Bernardino group’s move isn’t the only recent secession movement. In 2020, a group in northern California lobbied to leave the state and merge with parts of Oregon and Idaho. That group was motivated by dissatisfaction with California’s “liberal policies.”

Also, in 2017, there was gathering momentum for a movement calling for California to leave the Union and create its own country. That movement, labeled Calexit, was headed by Louis Marinelli, an American citizen who lived in Russia. According to Bloomberg, the campaign received financial backing from the Russian government. Marinelli later returned to America, renounced Calexit, and ran for a State Assembly seat. He received 6.4% of the vote.

Creating a new state is a complicated process. For example, secession from California would require approval from state legislatures, Congress and a signature from the president of the United States.

The last states to join the union were Hawaii and Alaska, which were admitted in 1959. And the last state to be formed by splitting away from another state was West Virginia, which was created in 1863.

Juanita Nixon Kelly, a 70-year resident of San Bernardino, California will celebrate her 100th birthday on October 3. She was born in Texas, Texarkana in 1922, raised in Oklahoma, then she moved to Los Angeles, California in 1937 at the age of 15, and later graduated from Jefferson High School in1940.

Kelly moved to the Westside of San Bernardino in 1952, where she raised a beautiful family of eight children, four girls and four boys. She has always had a love and desire to help others which led her to be employed at St. Bernardines Hospital and San Bernardino County Foster Care. She also worked as a clerk with the Voter’s Registrar with the voting polls in the family home for 10 years.

After retirement, she became a volunteer for the San Bernardino County Senior Companion for 27 leaving the program at the age of 90, continuing with her walk and work with God and the Church. Her years in the church she served as Sunday School Teacher, choir member, choir president, choir director, and mistress of ceremonies. God has blessed her to live and witness six generations of her family. Having grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren the number exceeds well over 100.

Kelly’s favorite scripture is Psalm 34:1, which states, “I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth”. Her favorite song is “Because He lives I can face tomorrow”.

She has come this far by faith leaning on the Lord! She was also one of the founding organizers in Bethesda M.B.C with Pastor Fred M.Williams; New Jerusalem M.B.C; and Burning Bush M.B.C with Pastor Solomon Stewart. She is an active member of Living Faith Full Gospel Church with Pastor Shelby Roberts.

She was the recipient of the “First Annual Juneteenth Recognition Award”, The Inland Empire/High Desert Component Choir of the L.A Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America Inc in 2022, Dansby Stardivant II, GMWA Asst, Chapter Rep. She has also received recognition and honor from the offices of Joe Baca San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors 5th District, Assembly Woman Wilmer Carter, Mayor Pat Morris, President Bill Clinton, and San Bernardino city council. She her family’s Queen/ Matriarch.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Kaiser High School ROTC color guard started the day off presenting the flags, and Valerie Evans singing the most beautiful rendition of America the beautiful.

Judges Dramond Crawford, Phil Cochran, and R.D. Evans had the hardest job, tasting and judging food from each of the grillers. Making the ultimate decision must have been hard, but somebody had to do it and they were the best men for the job.

Winners of the competition went home with cash prizes, trophies, and plaques. First place chicken, Fontana Police officers’ association, first place ribs San Bernardino County Fire Fighters, second place ribs St Andrews Masonic Lodge #16, and second place chicken went to San Bernardino Police officers’ association.

Parents enjoyed finger licking good barbecue with live entertainment provided by Summit High School band, Route 66 dance studio, Heart and Soul Dancers, and the Tims family praise dancers.

Fontana Kiwanis Key Club students from 3 high schools in Fontana assisted the children in the kids zone with a community service project making cards for kids, that will be delivered to kids hospitalized with chronic illness, and games.

The success of the DAY’S event is due to everyone who participated, and your interest in being “Unity in CommUNITY”.

Our weekly coverage of local news in San Bernardino County is supported by the  Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program supported by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers in California.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association (SEBA) is awarding a total of $40,000 to distribute to teachers throughout San Bernardino County as part of their annual Back to School Shop with a Cop: Teachers’ Edition event.

“We are extremely thankful to our partners at SEBA, who continue to dedicate their time and resources to reward extraordinary teachers who are dedicated to serving our students throughout San Bernardino County,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “This program is an example of how educational and community partners can unite to enrich the learning experience for our students.”

San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre will join SEBA President, Sgt. Grant Ward in visiting 16 school sites as part of this year’s program.

“We are fortunate to have generous donors and a valuable partnership with San Bernardino County Schools,” said Ward. “Together, we are able to make a positive impact in the community we serve and say thank you to our teachers for their hard work and dedication.”

A total of 160 teachers will be recognized, and each teacher will receive a $250 gift card that may be used for classroom supplies, innovative learning resources, teacher tools and other classroom needs.

On Aug. 23, all 14 teachers at Snowline Joint Unified School District’s Wrightwood Elementary School received $250 gift cards each for the first visit of this year’s event. The school held an assembly to celebrate all of their teachers.

With the support from generous sponsors, approximately 4,000 students countywide will benefit from the gift cards awarded to teachers as part of these Shop With a Cop events.

For more news and information, visit the SBCSS Newsroom and follow us @SBCountySchools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. #transforminglives.

The I.E. Live Market Nite group connected the whose who of the Inland Empire. They had dignitaries from all over the I.E., such as Kimberly Calvin, Councilwoman for the 6th Ward, Mayoral candidate Helen Tran, Chief Paulino from San Bernardino City Unified School District, Representatives from Supervisor Joe Baca Jr’s office, and Pam Montana, President of the local Kiwanis Club, and Board member of PAL Charter Academy, just to name a few.
The event was held at the PAL Center one of the longest operating agencies in Muscoy and has a 38-year community tenure in the I.E. Founder Dr. Mildred Henry of the PAL Center stopped by to support the event and promote her newly released book “From the Ashes, I Rise. “I’m so proud of Mr. Radden and his I.E. Live Team for bringing this event to the PAL Center and the Muscoy community Dr. Henry stated”.
The event played host to well over four hundred families and kids. I.E. Live Event Coordinator, Jasmine Jefferson, owner of I.E. Pop Up Events said, “It was just a great day for our community. We gave away free shoes, backpacks, and gifts and raffled off prizes such as Beats by Dre, headphones, a TV, and Clipper tickets.” Tickets were to a game against the Lakers. They were donated by the president of the Knockitoff Youth Foundation, Robin Mckinnon known as Malibu. She was also the host of I.E. Live Event. The music and production were done by DJ Muda. He is known as one of the top DJs in the Inland Empire.
Sistas Making a Difference, delivered a powerful punch to the day by giving out hundreds of free shoes. Founder Ronnie Miller said, “it’s always great when you can put smiles on children’s and families faces. Giving back to the community is what this event and the Founder is all about!” Founder of the I.E Live event, Dwaine Radden Sr. said “music, food, sports, and recreation is always a good recipe for a great event. They had a game truck, jumper, and a water slide for the kids.
Radden assembled a powerhouse group of organizations to be a part of the I.E. Live Market NiteTeam. PAL Center, Sistas Making a Difference, Knockitoff Youth Foundation, 20/20 Vision, Talon36.com, I.E. Pop Up Events. He said “We all had a seat at the table to create this history-making event. Our mission was to create unity in the I.E. Community. We have been plagued with countless murders of men, women, and children throughout San Bernardino and in the I.E. We must find ways to reunify our community if we want to restore the I.E. greatness we once had!”
R&B singer Latrice Kristine of the I.E. was the headliner, and she was accompanied by some dynamic performances by Dre-Lamonte, Kam, and Cornell Lamar, all from the Inland Empire. Vendors came from all over the area to be a part of this event. Reggie Dixon owner of Notorious R.I.B. from Riverside said “it must have been a pretty good day, I’m out of food.” I.E. groups also, partnered with the local Amateur Athletic Union (A AU) Football and Cheerleading organization which conducted plenty of foot traffic for the event. AAU leader MaishaTurner said, “it was a good day. It felt like a big family reunion.”
The next event will be held on November 5th, 2022 at the PAL Center, 2450 Blake Street. For more information on how you can be involved with the upcoming event. Call 909-314-6623 or email them at ielivemarketnite@gmail.com.

Our weekly coverage of local news in San Bernardino County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program supported by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers in California.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For updates and additional information visit Reparations Task Force Meetings.