The news of Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict in the murder of George Floyd has caused many to reflect on the seemingly endless challenges—and endless hope, fight and resilience—that the Black community has experienced and demonstrated, particularly over the past year. Chronicling “the year that changed the world,” ESSENCE—the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities—today debuted its May/June 2021 issue cover as a striking visual interpretation that juxtaposes the challenges and triumphs of a community after an unprecedented year of heightened social and political unrest, police brutality, economic and health inequities, COVID-19 and more. The quilt artwork cover, created by contemporary artist Bisa Butler and commissioned exclusively by ESSENCE, is one-of-a-kind and the first-of-its-kind used by ESSENCE for a cover in its more than 50-year history.  Butler is widely recognized for her depictions of African-American identity and life in the American experience, combining portraiture and the highly skilled craft and tradition of quilting to deliver engaging pieces that spark dialogue.

ESSENCE assembled an array of notable voices—from activists, journalists, artists and writers—who shared their perspectives on witnessing history unfold, creating change and being champions for freedom. Guest contributors include: activist and author Tamika Mallory, who shared an excerpt from her upcoming book State of Emergency; CNN anchor Abby Phillip; journalist and scholar Clint Smith; Paris-based producer Robin Allison Davis; race, culture and identity writer Kovie Biakolo; writer/activist Kimberly Latrice Jones; activist Lynee Vanee Bogues; and more. The issue also features ESSENCE CEO Caroline Wanga’s debut column entitled “Plate Full of Parsley,” which accentuates power, equity and authenticity as key ingredients for a new kind of soul food for the sisterhood.

“Some events are so defining that they continue to transform generations long after they occur, and such have been the collective events of the past year,” said Latraviette D. Smith-Wilson, Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer, ESSENCE.  “Whether those sworn to protect us having no regard for our lives, health and economic disparities heightened under a global pandemic, violent attacks on the U.S. Capitol and American democracy and more, we have witnessed a deluge of inhumanity that has only been rivaled by the resilience of our humanity.  This is what our incredible team has captured throughout the pages of ESSENCE’s  May/June Issue and what we are so honored that Bisa Butler has visually interpreted through the colors, textures, fabrics and patterns of this amazing quilt artwork—the first of its kind for an ESSENCE cover. Each stitch tells the story of these times and threads together the narrative of the work left undone and the future of social justice and racial equity that we must create.”

ESSENCE’s ongoing focus on social justice, economic inclusion and equity issues will be highlighted this week in its upcoming airing of the 2021 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, on ESSENCE.com and ESSENCEStudios.com this Thursday, April 22. Building on its years of providing platforms to ensure Black creatives were recognized when others ignored them and that they continue to “receive their flowers” for their contributions to Hollywood and global culture, this year’s experience, with the theme “Mastering Our Stories,” will focus on the resiliency of Black women in Hollywood through the years—including during the unprecedented pandemic.

ESSENCE’s May/June issue will hit newsstands on Tuesday, April 27. For more on this issue, visit ESSENCE.com.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Essence Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration. The brand’s multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

By Sunita Sohrabji | Ethnic Media Services

Combating domestic violence requires a healing-centered approach which doesn’t always remove an abuser from the household nor criminalizes him, said Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, incoming director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV).

“I have never come across a woman who did not want to help her abusive partner. Leaving an abusive relationship is an old paradigm. Women of color want to stay with their partners and want agencies to help the abusive partner break out of their cycle of violence,” said Moore-Orbih, in an interview with Ethnic Media Services. “For me, the call has been to help people see one another, with all their shortcomings, and still love them.”

Moore-Orbih will officially joined the CPEDV team April 19.

The Partnership founded nearly 40 years ago, represents over 1,000 survivors, advocates, organizations and allied individuals across California. The organization has successfully advocated for over 200 pieces of legislation on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children, and it brings a racial justice focus to the issue.

Moore-Orbih, a United Church of Christ pastor, whose career has focused on racial justice and violence against women, hopes to bring a new paradigm to the role, focusing on the intersectionality of factors that can contribute to an abusive relationship, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender and sexual orientation, age, ability, and immigrant identity. The Partnership noted in a press release that she “will raise the visibility of the Partnership’s anti-oppression work, move the public discourse, and support policy and community advocacy toward more effective prevention and intervention solutions.”

“People of color already live in an environment that is hostile towards them. Their survival mechanisms are seen as criminal and violent,” said Moore-Orbih, noting the generational trauma of slavery and Jim Crow laws, the continuous murders of young Black men without cause, poor economic conditions, and housing insecurity.

“It is a system that has traditionally tried to kill people of color, who are brought up with generations of disempowerment. When things are out of control most of the time, you attempt to control it, sometimes with violence,” she said.

For Black and Brown men, masculinity is determined by power. “They have spent a lifetime trying to prove their power to their communities, and their partners,” she said, noting that Black men have traditionally been underemployed while Black women are often over-employed. Women have had to do the delicate dance of bringing in the family’s income, raising their children, and pleasing their man.

“For a woman of color, domestic violence may be fourth or fifth on the list of things they have to deal with,” she said. “I can handle him, but this is all the stuff I cannot handle.”

COVID has added an extra layer of pressure for both survivors and their abusers. “Women doing the cha cha cha all these years are quickly learning the flamenco,” said Moore-Orbih. “But this is nothing new. Our communities have been doing the survival dance for decades.”

Domestic violence has spiked alarmingly as victims are trapped at home with their abusers amid lockdown orders during the COVID pandemic. The New England Journal of Medicine reported last year that one out of every four women in the U.S. and one in 10 men are currently facing abuse from a spouse or intimate partner. At the same time, traditional safety nets have largely been shut down. Domestic violence hotlines have seen a drop in calls as many victims cannot find safe spaces from which to make calls.

Shelters are closed or operating at full capacity, and thereby cannot take on new clients. Black and Brown victims of domestic violence are less likely to call police because of a mistrust of law enforcement or language barriers.

“When COVID broke, we were all struggling trying to figure out how to provide services,” said Moore-Orbih, adding that the number of people sent to hotels tripled, as survivors had to quarantine for 14 days before they could be sent to a shelter.

“COVID became another layer of pressure for people who were already drowning in anxiety, fear, ad trauma. If a person is trying to save you, you can’t see that,” she said.

Getting a woman out of her home and into a shelter to build self-esteem and self-reliance is just one small piece, said the reverend. “She is not healed.”

Similarly, Moore-Orbih does not support criminalizing perpetrators who must also be healed via the same holistic approach.

An integrative holistic approach must be brought to both survivor and perpetrator, said Moore-Orbih. “If we are looking to make people whole again, we must address the psyche, the physical ailments, forced immigration, and slavery.”

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

California’s newest and first Latino Democratic Senator, Alex Padilla, says he supports reparations for Black American descendants of enslaved African people. He made the statement during an online news briefing with members of California’s ethnic press organized by Ethnic Media Services.

“It’s the morally right thing to do,” said Padilla. “For me, it’s not a difficult conversation.”

Padilla said reparations would go a long way to “address institutional injustices.”

For nearly two centuries now, Black American descendants of enslaved Africans have been making the case to an unbudging U.S. government for reparations. Advocates say payments would compensate for centuries of unpaid labor and an opportunity for the federal government to make good on its promise to provide 40 acres and a mule to each formerly enslaved Black person after the Civil War.

A shift in the national consciousness last year — some attribute to organizing around Black economic and political empowerment led in part by the American Descendants of Slaves Movement and the national reckoning on race that began last summer after the killing of George Floyd — has ushered in a political environment in the United States where many legislators are much more open than they have been in the past to reparations.

“We have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Padilla said. “We should be able to negotiate and advance and infrastructure package, and immigration reform and protect the rights of voters, and work on environmental protection, and address historical injustices like this.”

Earlier this month, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve forming a committee to study the idea of providing reparations to African Americans.

Padilla is a veteran politician who’s worked his way up the political ladder, previously serving as a Los Angeles city councilman, as a state senator and as secretary of State before he was nominated in January to replace outgoing Sen. Kamala Harris.

Padilla said that he has been senator for less than 100 days, but he’s packed a lot into that short period. During his first couple of months, he participated in President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, and voted to approve the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 intended to help Americans devastated economically by the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Senate, he is pushing and supporting a number of bills on a range of issues, including proposals focused on immigration reform (providing a pathway to citizenship for essential workers) and hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, grew up in the Pacoima, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. His father worked for 40 years as a short-order cook and his late mother cleaned houses. Both parents were local activists who fought against violence in their community. Padilla said they were the inspiration for his political career.

“Through their hard work, we had a modest upbringing to put it mildly,” said Padilla. “We grew up with the values of service to others, and hard work, but we also saw our parents get very involved in the community.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On Friday April 30th, 2021, student leaders with Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) and Inland Empire Prism Collective (IEPC) will host a youth-led conversation with San Bernardino Unified School District board members around access to mental health resources on their school campuses. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. via Zoom at: https://bit.ly/3mUluhK.

Now more than ever, students need support for their mental health needs. Covid 19 has proven to increase anxiety and depression in adults and children due to the mandatory social distancing, stay at home orders, and home circumstances youth have no control over. Youth leaders have been vocal advocates for properly equipped mental wellness centers to aid students in need within SBCUSD. Prior to Covid 19, students have been pressuring district leadership to allocate more funding to mental health resources because of the fear of mass shootings at schools across the nation. Over the past year, youth have also experienced trauma at large rates. From Covid 19 to police brutality, it is evident that students need these resources available to them to effectively handle the emotional impacts that these crises have had on them.

Many students within SBCUSD come from low income and marginalized backgrounds where access to mental health resources is often beyond their reach. By pushing forth this conversation, youth leaders are continuing to pave the way for the implementation of mental wellness centers by holding school board members accountable to allocating money towards the creation of these programs on all high school campuses and continuation schools within the district.

“As youth, we experience many forms of oppression that directly affect our mental health. Having mental wellness resources, such as therapists, available to us at our schools is a necessity for many of us that needs to be implemented as soon as possible.” – Scarlett Juarez, ICUC and IEPC Youth Leader

By Carl Dameron

Being accepted by just one major university is a life-changing event for many high school students.  Monique Vobecky is in a very different position.

Monique Vobecky a 17-year-old senior at Glendora High School, recently received her 18th acceptance letter, this one from another Ivy League University.  Many of the universities offered her full scholarships.

“This completed 18-for-18 high profile universities that accepted her as a freshman for the 2021 school year,” said her mother, Bianca Vobecky.

Monique is an excellent student with a 4.67 grade-point average, as well as an athlete and philanthropist.

“This is unreal!” said Monique, who is 17.  “I cannot believe all the letters said, ‘accepted.’”

Monique plans to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.

“I want the world to see that Black Girls are capable of amazing things.  We must be recognized and accepted for who we are and the talents, skills and passion we bring to the world…no matter how different we are… doctor, scientist, artist, musicians, or even a young poet like Amanda Gorman!”

How did Monique become such a sought-after student?

“She earned it,” said her father, Pete Vobecky.

Monique fell in love with sports and started playing soccer at an early age.  She’s been a captain on the Glendora High soccer team where she excelled as the 2017-18 “Defensive player of the year,” and she was selected MVP of the Soccer team for the 2019-2020 school year.

In 2018, Monique, then 14, created the Little Sunshine Foundation.  Her start-up was selected by the Glendora Chamber of Commerce as the ‘Nonprofit of the Year’ in 2019.

The Little Sunshine Foundation’s mission is to provide underserved youths with the necessary resources to improve their quality of life through tutoring, increased access to sporting gear, civic engagement and leadership.

Monique said she started the foundation because she believes “that every child deserves a little sunshine!”

Her parents said Monique gets to decide which university she’ll attend since she is the one who put in all the work.  Although Obama did go to Harvard, one noted.

“We don’t know all the reasons why all the universities accepted her.  What we know is that my daughter, a Black teenager from Glendora, California, put in the work to excel academically and take time to shine light in the lives of so many others,” said her mother, Bianca.

Her father, Pete, said, “Maybe it is time for Monique to be given an opportunity to have the light shine brightly on her for a while.”

Monique said she wants to major in medicine and become a doctor “to heal people and help them lead longer, happier lives.”

Pressed to name the lucky university she’s chosen, Monique said she doesn’t know yet.  She said she’ll let friends, family and the universities know when she decides.

The universities accepting Monique include:

1. Harvard University
2. Stanford University
3. UC Berkeley
4. UCLA
5. Cornell
6. Yale University
7. Princeton University
8. Cornell University
9. Duke University
10. Johns Hopkins University
11. University of Southern California
12. Northwestern University
13. Brown University
14. UC San Diego
15. UC Santa Barbara
16. UC Irvine
17. Cal Poly SLO
18. Cal State Long Beach

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Dameron Communications has been retained by the RDCIO partnership of Renaissance Downtowns USA and ICO Real Estate Group to serve as the public relations firm for the development and reuse of The City of San Bernardino’s 48.2-acre Carousel District site in the heart of downtown San Bernardino. 

The development is expected to serve as a catalyst for Downtown San Bernardino by building upon the pre-existing foot traffic brought in by the Regal Cinema and California Theatre.  

“We are very excited to work on this epic project.  This bold development will launch San Bernardino into a prosperous 21st century,” said Carl Dameron, principal of the 30-year-old San Bernardino agency, Dameron Communications. 

“The plan includes housing for all and business opportunities for all,” said Don Monti, Renaissance Downtowns President and CEO.  

On March 3, 2021, the San Bernardino City Council selected RDICO to redevelop the Carousel Mall. The RCICO plan is the best way to launch San Bernardino’s short term, mid-term and long-term growth, said Dameron.

For more information on RDICO and San Bernardino’s new Downtown Development, go to www.SanBernardinoDowntown.com.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed interim Public Defender Thomas Sone to serve as the county’s new Public Defender.

“We are very fortunate to have someone with Tom’s credentials, experience, and dedication on our team,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.

Sone has served as interim Public Defender since December and previously served as Assistant Public Defender. He joined the Public Defender’s Office in 2001 after briefly working for a private law firm in Los Angeles. Sone began with the County as a Deputy Public Defender I and worked his way up to the position of Lead Deputy Public Defender V before being named Chief Deputy Public Defender in 2013 and Assistant Public Defender in 2018.

Along the way, Sone litigated serious and complex felony cases, trained and mentored newer attorneys, assigned cases, participated in community programs, and collaborated with various agencies to develop programs that better deliver services to our community.

“The Public Defender’s Office and this county hold a very special place in my heart,” Sone said. “For the past 20 years within the department, I’ve grown not just professionally but also as a person. Both the leadership of this department as well as this county have shaped who I’ve become. I am humbled and honored by the appointment.”

Sone is the county’s first Asian American and Pacific Islander Public Defender. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego, School of Law and holds two Bachelor’s degrees from Washington State University. He is also a graduate of the San Bernardino County Management and Leadership Academy.

The Public Defender provides legal representation to criminal or civil commitment defendants who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The office represents adults and juveniles charged with misdemeanor or felony crimes, and persons facing involuntary civil commitment for mental disorders or commitment under the Sexually Violent Predator statute.

In addition to attorneys, the San Bernardino County Public Defender employs investigators to fully investigate cases handled by the department. The Department also has a staff of social workers and support staff to provide the best representation for clients.

Using a holistic approach, the Public Defender seeks to increase client opportunities for achieving self-sufficiency. In addition to providing legal defense, the office also seeks to arrange client access to social service programs and assistance with receiving alcohol and drug rehabilitation services and counseling for mental health issues.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) Positive Youth Development department is organizing another Operation Student Recovery (OSR) on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 9 a.m. to noon, the third operation of the 2020–2021 school year.

OSR takes a proactive approach to reversing attendance issues, with administrators personally visiting the homes of truant students to invite them back to school and offer assistance in overcoming whatever barriers are preventing good attendance.

Past events have helped students, and their families, address the problems that prevented good school attendance. During the February 23 OSR 1000 event, more than 165 volunteers wearing personal protective equipment assisted 102 homeless students, 14 foster youth, 234 English learners, and 360 African-American students. A total of 40 students received immediate technical assistance. Other students received medical and mental health referrals, and some families received food assistance.

For more information about the April 27 OSR event or past OSR efforts, contact Positive Youth Development at (909) 880-6812.