By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?
Months after Black employees called out widespread racism at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed two African American women to the board of the California agency that shapes state policy against air pollution.
Last week, the governor announced that he appointed Liane Randolph, 55, of Oakland, who was in charge of integrating the resource-planning processes at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), as the new chair of CARB.
“Cleaner air is essential for California’s families and Liane Randolph is the kind of bold, innovative leader that will lead in our fight against climate change with equity and all California’s communities at heart,” Gov. Newsom said. “By committing to achieving carbon neutrality and a clean economy, my Administration is fighting for a healthier and more vibrant future for our families and our economy.”
Randolph is the first Black person to serve as chair of CARB.
Responding to the news of her appointment, Randolph said she is “beyond excited” about the work she will do at CARB.
“Governor Newsom and the Legislature have set California on a bold path to address the air pollution that burdens our communities and the existential threat of climate change,” Randolph said. “Implementing these policies requires effective management and strategy that centers the people affected most by environmental damage. I am eager to step forward and continue California’s leadership in tackling these challenging issues.”
Randolph has been a Commissioner at the CPUC since 2015. Before that, she was deputy secretary and general counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2011 to 2014. From 2007 to 2011, she was an attorney at the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
Randolph, a Democrat, also served as chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2003 to 2007. From 1996 to 1997, she a was staff attorney there as well.
She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Los Angeles School of Law. The CARB chairperson’s position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $183,552.
?Randolph replaces Mary Nichols, CARB’s outgoing chair, who is reportedly President-elect Joe Biden’s top pick to be the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).?
Another Black woman, Davina Hurt, will also serve on the air agency’s board. She joins other members: John Balmes of Berkeley, Los Angeles’ Gideon Kracov, and Tania Pacheco-Werner of Sanger.
Hurt, 45, has been a Belmont City councilmember since 2015. She has worked as a campaign manager at the Democratic Volunteer Center from 2014 to 2015.
Hurt is a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. This CARB board position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hurt is also a Democrat.
In September, the Concerned Black Employees at CARB (CBE CARB) submitted a 13-page letter alleging discrimination at the agency. It stated that members had been the target of routine and systematic racism and that they had been excluded from promotions.
CARB, the letter points out, has a total of 1,627 employees and only 73 of them are Black. Only one African American has held an executive position with the organization.
“Our intent in sharing this Letter and Action Plan is not to shame or belittle CARB, or to assign blame. We enjoy the work we do at CARB and want to do all we can to improve CARB for the future, and our future careers with the agency,” CBE CARB stated.?
Last summer, at the height of the George Floyd riots and the national reckoning on race, Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Sacramento), who is African American, expressed disapproval and disappointment after Nichols posted a tweet comparing air pollution violations with the tragic death of George Floyd.
“How dare you use a dying man’s plea for help as a way to discuss your agenda. Have you no shame?” Cooper reacted to Nichols’ tweet.?
Nichols posted on June 1, “‘I can’t breathe’ speaks to police violence, but it also applies to the struggle for clean air. Environmental racism is just one form of racism. It’s all toxic. Government needs to clean it up in word and deed.”?
Nichols later issued an apology via Twitter, stating “I apologize for speaking at the wrong time about the wrong topic. Racism comes in many forms and I believe we must fight every instance of it in our society.”?
Yeah I know, but the call of a watchman, is to faithfully deliver God’s message, including all of God’s rebukes and warnings. It is a watchman responsibility to warn the people of the coming judgment. You see, there are people today in harm’s way – in peril because of their sin, and like the prophets and Apostles, and even Christ Himself, we too must warn unbelievers of this coming dreadful day and compel them to flee to Christ, who alone is mighty to save. So as Isaiah said, “I will not keep silent because of Zion, and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem, until her righteousness shines like a bright light and her salvation, like a flaming torch.” [Isaiah 62:1]. I can’t make you heed the warning? I am not called to force you to change, but I am called to alert you. It is an eternal life and death situation for both me as a watchmen and for the lost. [Isaiah 62:6-9, Ezekiel 33:1-9, Jeremiah 1:13-17, John 6:66-69].
You see, the word of the Lord came to me: “[Daughter] of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select someone from among them, appointing them as their watchman, and see the sword coming against the land and blows their trumpet to warn the people. Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his blood is on his own hands. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. However, if the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives, then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood. “As for you, [daughter] of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.” [Ezekiel 33:1-9].
To know that you have done all you can to let people know of God’s coming wrath even if it offends them, it is a task that is not optional. “Again the word of the Lord came to me inquiring, “What do you see? And I replied, “I see a boiling pot, its lip tilted from the north to the south.” Then the Lord said to me, “Disaster will be poured out from the north on all who live in the land. Indeed, I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north.” This is the Lord’s declaration. They will come, and each king will set up his throne at the entrance to Jerusalem’s gates. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah. “I will pronounce My judgments against them for all the evil they did when they abandoned Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands. “Now, get ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them or I will cause you to cower before them.” [Jeremiah 1:13-17].
“When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses. Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.” They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand.” [Nehemiah 1:4-10]
I tell you, we have had, and continue to have, plenty of warning, and plenty of time to prepare. The storm is on the horizon, and it will surely come, unless God intervenes, so get ready for its coming. And know that no one is excluded from Jesus’ demand to repent. If we will not repent, Jesus has one word for us, “Woe, to you” [Matthew 11:21].
“Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” [Acts 20:26-27]. Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!
ATLANTA, GA—- With gratitude, Clark Atlanta University’s President George T. French, Jr., JD, Ph.D. announced today that Clark Atlanta University received a $15 million unrestricted gift from Novelist and Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This gift is the single largest private gift in the history of the University.
“I am extremely honored to receive this gift and would like to thank Ms. MacKenzie Scott for her generosity and investment in Clark Atlanta University. This transformational gift will enable the University to strengthen our academic programs; support academic innovation initiatives; enhance our campus infrastructure; provide scholarship support to students; and, build on our endowment,” said President French.
The University hopes that Ms. Scott’s gift will be a catalyst for other individuals, corporations and foundations to make additional transformational gifts to the University. As the largest, private Historically Black College and University in Georgia, with over 40 majors and four schools, President French intends to build on the University’s rich academic history in social justice, research, education, communication arts, and business.
President French said that he would like to see other donors join Ms. Scott in making an investment in Clark Atlanta University. “We have put in place several innovative programs, such as Cyber Physical Security in the School of Arts and Humanities, and The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development in The School of Business. Our enrollment is strong and growing across all four schools, particularly at the graduate degree level. With additional financial resources, the University can continue to strengthen academic programs, retain and recruit talented faculty, provide more scholarships to students, and renovate several historic buildings and residence halls on campus”.
About Clark Atlanta University
Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869). CAU continues a 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. CAU cultivates lifted lives that transforms the world. For more information, please contact Jolene Butts Freeman at (404) 880-8000 or jbutts-freeman@cau.edu.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — When he came on board as UPS’s chief marketing officer in June 2018 after a 34-year career at Xerox, Kevin Warren was only the second outsiderin the company’s 113-year history to join in at the C-suite level.
Now, in a business that has long prided itself on promoting from within, Warren brings to the package delivery industry a new set of eyes and a mandate to drive the company’s success in the world of e-commerce.
Warren’s selection reflects a “major uptick in the number of CMOs with ethnically and/or racially diverse backgrounds; positive signs that companies are taking seriously the importance of increasing diversity at the most senior levels of leadership,” according to a report released in May by leadership advisory firm Spencer Stuart.
LANGENHAGEN, GERMANY – MAY 28: A UPS truck arrives at a UPS depot that has been hit by a coronavirus outbreak near Hanover on May 28, 2020 in Langenhagen, Germany. Authorities of the state of Lower Saxony have announced that 72 workers at the depot have tested positive for the virus and that another 55 will be tested. Germany has been easing lockdown measures over recent weeks and several instances of outbreaks, including at meat packaging plants, a Baptist church and now the UPS depot, have occurred. (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)
On the other hand, as a whole, corporate governance expert Cydney Posner writes in The Sorry State of C-Suite Diversity that “the representation of racially diverse executives in the C-suite is slightly skewed toward positions with lower potential for advancement. [We] find that ethnically diverse executives have lower representation in positions that directly feed into future CEO and board roles,” like general counsel or human resources.
As CMO, Warren, 58, is responsible for all UPS marketing, The UPS Store, digital infrastructure analytics, revenue management, business planning, and forecasting, customer loyalty management, digital marketing, customer experience, branding and customer communications.
And, while some companies may view these marketing functions as “discretionary,” Warren said he sees the role of marketing quite differently.
“My mandate is to raise the voice of marketing inside the company to a strategic level and show how it contributes to the performance of the company,” he said. “And we’re winning by saying what we’re going to do and going out and doing it.”
The early years
Warren grew up in the Petworth neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., the youngest of four, and only son of Lucy, a school teacher, and Billy, a counselor in the D.C. Department of Corrections and was a part-time cabbie.
After graduating from St. John’s College High School in 1980, Warren continued his Catholic education at Georgetown University.
It was there that he had to balance the academic rigors of a White prestige school with an active collegiate social scene that included his initiation into Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the vibrant Black Greek social scene that blanketed the District in the early to mid-80s.
“Georgetown was a liberal arts school, so I was studying theology with concepts of atheism, Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre,” said Warren, who graduated in 1984 with a finance degree. “Georgetown fed me academically, but I had to find an alternative social outlet to augment what I was getting on campus. I had good balance; I just had to navigate it.”
Warren also recalled Georgetown as a cultural mile marker that changed his perspective on life.
“It was an environment that gives you an opportunity to test yourself with others, which gives you confidence as to what you can achieve,” he said. “It was really about going outside my comfort zone and really kind of opening up to what was possible.”
The Xerox years
“My goal was to go to Wall Street,” Warren said. “But, I took an internship with Xerox during my senior year and ended up falling in love with the company.”
Given his own sales territory a year later, Warren pounded the pavement, cold-calling potential customers, and honed his skills as part of a sales team.
“It was a culture of success that was unbelievable. It was a very young company, and diverse well beyond a lot of its peers as far as Blacks and women,” he said.
Early on at Xerox, which then specialized in office copiers and printers, Warren identified two mentors/role models that would help define his career: Barry Rand, a former executive vice president of worldwide operation who allegedly left Xerox after being passed over for the top job there in early 1999 to become the CEO at Avis Holdings, and ex-NFL linebacker and former Senior Vice President Dave Garnett.
“[Barry] was sharp, but down enough to connect with men and women, Blacks and Whites,” Warren said. “He was the picture of what the possibilities could be.” (Rand died in 2018.)
Garnett, said Warren, taught him that “you always need to be adding to your portfolio. It’s the whole concept of identifying what skills you have, what skills you’ll need in the future … and how you’re going to get those skills to differentiate you from the competitive landscape.”
But, it was the emergence of network computing that catapulted Warren into the stratosphere of senior leadership. In the ’90s, as standalone copiers and printers were being replaced by network office systems, Warren found himself in a position to train his colleagues on the new technology.
“I took a pay cut and took myself off the management track for 21 months to teach our sales teams and analysts how to sell this new technology, but it exposed me to senior management and put me on a trajectory a lot faster than I would have been had I not taken that chance.”
Warren left Xerox in 2018 after serving as executive vice president and chief commercial officer, and several other executive leadership positions in the United States and Canada.
Long after his Xerox days, Warren’s formula for success is now the “secret sauce” for its leaders’ next generation.
“People use this cliché all the time, but Kevin was a servant leader who didn’t mind rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty when needed,” said Kamonte McCray, who worked for Warren beginning in 1995 and is now a Xerox senior vice president and general manager for the Content Management and Workflow Software Group.
“He was the ‘North Star’ that I followed because I aspired to be him. I would hope that when people talk about me, they’d say the same thing.”
The UPS years
Regardless of one’s previous successes, coming into a new industry is not an easy feat, particularly in a company that prides itself on established practices and its prowess in the field.
Chris Byrne, UPS vice president of marketing operations and digital acceleration, and Warren’s de facto chief of staff highlighted the pros and cons that Warren faced when making the jump from Xerox to UPS, a major package-delivery service.
“The pro is that you can come in with a fresh set of eyes and begin to ask questions like, ‘Why do we do it that way or do we have to do it at all?’” said Byrne, who followed Warren from Xerox.
“When you come into the company [from the outside], you can see these things more clearly. The con is that there is a learning curve and corporate nuances that impact your abilities, but to see things with fresh eyes outweighs those cons.”
Fresh eyes and building followership is what Warren brings to the table as a relatively new UPS executive, added Byrne.
“People get behind Kevin,” Byrne said. “Why is that? It’s because if you’re invested in what he believes in as a leader and the things he stands for, he’ll support you. He builds trust, and he extends trust.”
Evidence of that trust is UPS’s commitment—primarily driven by Warren to change its image among small-and-medium-sized businesses through its “Be Unstoppable” initiative that offers a suite of shipping tools and special discounts.
Warren said, “this program is designed to change the company’s public perception as a reliable, but somewhat stodgy, delivery company.”
“Our industry is being disrupted, and the biggest disrupter is e-commerce. Just like the digital copier and printers disrupted the older copier technology, the same is happening with companies like Amazon and Shopify, and even customers like Walmart and Target. We’ve got to be able to better understand the dynamics of the e-commerce industry.”
In another nod to small and medium-sized businesses, while also promoting UPS Store franchising opportunities, Warren spearheads its Blue Horizon Minority Incentive Program. In an effort to help drive minority franchise ownership, first-time minority franchisees are eligible to receive discounts on initial franchise and application fees.
SAN FRANCISCO, A pedestrian walks by a United Parcel Service (UPS) truck on July 30, 2020 in San Francisco, California. UPS reported a 13.4 percent surge in quarterly revenues to $20.46 billion beating analysts estimates of $17.48 billion. The global shipping company’s net income rose 4.7% to $1.77 billion for the quarter. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Breaking the new glass ceiling
Warren is a keen proponent of diversity and inclusion for people of color, especially in the top ranks of corporate management.
“Race is always there. Early on in my career, it was less of an issue because there was more diversity in the lower and middle ranks, but as you ascend to the top ranks, it’s a real dynamic that has to be dealt with.”
As a director of Illinois Tool Works, Fiserv, Georgetown University, and the UPS Foundation, Warren is now focusing some of his commitment to diversity on board representation as a way to build a pipeline to the C-suite positions he has occupied over the years.
A similar push is underway on Wall Street as well.
Earlier this month, Nasdaq submitted a proposal to the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring listed companies to have at “least two diverse directors, including one who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+.”
“It’s so important to have a seat at the table because we’ve gone backwards in terms of black CEO representation versus 10 years ago,” Warren said. “Blacks in the board can ask where we are in terms of succession planning from a diversity pipeline standpoint. This is not philanthropy. This is practical; this is business.”
More than half of California is now under a regional stay-at-home order.
Last week, when the governor announced the impending shutdown, he said health officials had carved the state into five regions. Their goal is to coordinate a broad emergency response that would reach across county lines and consider the proximity and capacity of health services within each area based on population and density. Those regions are: Northern California; Greater Sacramento; Bay Area; San Joaquin; and Southern California.
Effective Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m., the Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions went under the order after both areas’ intensive care unit (ICU) capacities fell under 15 % — the threshold Gov. Newsom set last week as the bar that would trigger shutting down.
Five Bay Area counties also went under the order voluntarily on Dec. 6.
But as the state strengthens restrictions, Republican lawmakers are calling for transparency. They are calling on Gov. Newsom to share data that detail the affects that COVID-19 related restrictions have had on Californians. On Dec. 3, Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) called on the governor to revise the state’s re-opening standards, called the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
In November, Grove wrote a letter asking the governor to allow gyms, museums, places of worship and restaurants to remain open for indoor use with social distancing guidelines whenever the state enforced its strictest social isolation policies under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Last week, Grove also called on Gov. Newsom to release data relating to mental health, domestic violence and the achievement gap in education between Black and Brown students (and lower income students across the board) and their White peers since March.
“Californians have a right to public health data that is being used to shape their lives, and the governor owes the state leadership that is committed to transparency and accountability. We have to ensure the state’s actions are based on a holistic approach that protects out mental, social, and emotional well-being along with our physical health,” said Grove.
State health officials announced Dec. 5 that ICU capacity had fallen to 12.5 % in the Southern California region, and 8.6 percent in the San Joaquin Valley region. Statewide, California had the highest number of new coronavirus cases for one day on Dec. 5, with 25,000 new reported cases.
The stay-at-home order went into effect three days after Gov. Newsom announced the 15 % threshold for ICU. capacity. It affects 33 million Californians, 80 % of the state’s population. The order will last for three weeks, and it will be renewed on a weekly basis until the region’s projected I.C.U. capacity increases to 15 % or more.
“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” Newsom said.
Under the order, gatherings of any size of people from more than one household are prohibited. Non-essential businesses must close, including bars, wineries, hair salons and barber shops, nail salons, museums, movie theaters, playgrounds, indoor recreation facilities and amusement parks. Travel is also prohibited except as necessary for permitted activities, such as working at essential businesses or doing necessary shopping.
Retail businesses can stay open, but they are limited to 20 % capacity, and restaurants can only do takeout or delivery. Schools that are already open for in-person instruction can remain open along with critical infrastructure businesses. Also, worship services and protests are allowed as long as they take place outdoors.
Though most activities are now closed, the state government encourages members of the same household to visit parks and beaches, which remain open under the order, to maintain their physical and mental health.
The current stay-at-home order is the most restrictive statewide order since the March 19 order, which closed everything except essential businesses. On Nov. 21, the state directed counties with high caseloads to stay home and close non-essential businesses between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., but case numbers continued to rise.
The regional stay-at-home-order also comes soon after the Thanksgiving holiday. Public health officials have expressed their fear that the impact of Thanksgiving has yet to be seen, since any possible COVID-19 infections from that time can begin to show symptoms within the next week or so.
“We know that those cases that occurred around people’s dinner tables or activities and travel through Thanksgiving are going to show up right about now,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly on Dec. 7. “We believe that the levels of transmission that we’ve been reporting will likely continue to go up because of those activities.”
The current list of counties under the stay-at-home order as of Dec. 7 include: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne. The Bay Area counties under the order include: San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda, with Marin County going under the order Dec. 8.
Like a modern-day Harriet Tubman, VP-Elect Kamala Harris opened the door to claim a seat at the U.S. Senate table. U.S. Congresswomen Karen Bass or Barbara Lee should carry the torch lit by Harris.”
— Marie Y. Lemelle, CA Black Women Coalition
The movement of powerful and politically active Black women throughout California and the U.S. will continue to join forces to strongly urge California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint either Rep. Karen Bass or Rep. Barbara Lee to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated upon the ascension of VP-elect Kamala Harris to her new position. Taking the movement from social media and phone calls targeting Newsom’s office, two protests of elected officials, influential Black women, allies, and organizers will take place on Tuesday, December 15 from 11 a.m. to noon at California Governor Gavin Newsom offices at the California State Capitol, 10th and L Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814 and Ronald Reagan Building, 300 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
“Black women play a critical role in everything I do and say, and I would love to see a Black woman replace our Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, the majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives and highest-ranking African American in Congress. “U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif. 13), and U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif. 37) are both qualified and prepared to be California’s next junior senator.”
“If gender equity is California’s promise as stated by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, we are calling in that promise from the Governor’s office,” said Northern California Protest Leader Hon. Shay Franco-Clausen, Corresponding Secretary CDP Black Caucus and Silicon Valley Chapter lead for BWOPA. Black women voted in record numbers to deliver a victory to Democrats and this Country. It’s time to make room at the table we helped build and uplift Black women. California needs to replace Vice President Elect Kamala Harris seat with another Black woman.
“Black women in the Democratic Party have saved this country over and over again,” said Molly Watson, Board Member, Black Women’s Democratic Club. “If a Black woman is not appointed, our country loses the Black woman’s voice in the U.S. Senate.”
“Failing to appoint a women of color is a step back,” said Amiee Allison, President, She the People. “This is a moment for the governor to rise to the challenge.” In 2016, Californians voters chose a progressive Black woman to represent them in the Senate. The voters’ will must be respected by appointing a progressive Black woman to replace VP-elect Kamala Harris.
Historically, Black women are blatantly excluded from leadership roles. Kamala Harris, the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, changed the game for us and proved that a Black woman is invaluable to the progression of California and our Nation. Let’s not forget that Black women voted in record numbers to deliver a victory to Democrats and our country. “Karen Bass and Barbara Lee can fill those shoes perfectly without breaking their stride,” said Alfre Woodard Spencer, an actress and activist.
“Like a modern-day Harriet Tubman, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris kicked opened the door to claim a seat at the U.S. Senate table,” said Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA, former State Board Member for Barbering and Cosmetology and City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women. “Harris’ legacy is to lead more Black women to the table who will represent a forgotten but strong California population.” It is no surprise that women are already underrepresented in the U.S. Senate; and that is unacceptable. California should continue to buck the trend and send another Black woman to the U.S. Senate.
December 1st marked the 65th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat. Her right to keep her seat was a symbol of will power and the right to claim a prominent place in this world. We are ready to repeat the historic and courageous move that Ms. Parks made to demand respect and inclusion. She stood her ground without a coalition of Black women by her side. We earned the right to #KeeptheSeat and will continue to fight to never give up our seat to represent all people but especially the largest population in the State of California.
We live the values of gender equality, fairness, community, diversity, and authenticity that are essential to strong leadership. We ask that you do not overlook our progressive leaders Bass and Lee to carry the torch lit by Kamala Harris. Don’t dim the light of the Black woman’s spotlight and voice.
There is no doubt that Bass and Lee are ready to take on the challenges and issues that face Californians. They have the experience and the relationships to step in Kamala Harris’ shoes and step up to the table with confidence and determination. They know how to get the work done in Congress while advocating for the needs of Californians.
This is our time, and we are staking our claim to the seat that Kamala Harris earned with the support of Black women. Diversity in our leaders is the core to who we are in California. Together, we benefit from a variety in experiences and perspectives.
Tell Gov. Newsom why we need to #KeepTheSeat and #AppointABlackWoman, write to the Governor’s Chief of Staff Ann O’Leary at ann.oleary@gov.ca.gov.
For more information or the #KeepTheSeat toolkit, contact Marie Y. Lemelle, Platinum Star PR at (213) 276-7827 or marielemelle@platinumstarpr.com.
POMONA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) is hosting a series of virtual listening sessions over the coming months on building back the Inland Empire economy.
These events are an opportunity for community members to share their challenges and concerns with Rep. Torres, receive guidance from local experts, and ensure their voices are heard. The topics discussed will be the priorities Rep. Torres fights for as the new Congress convenes in Washington in January.
A conversation addressing the Inland Empire’s housing challenges and the support available to Inland Empire residents. Topics will include the lack of affordable housing, support for the homeless, and job opportunities.
December 17th: Economy & Transportation
A conversation on the local economy and transportation investments that will help the Inland Empire rebuild as we overcome coronavirus. Topics will include COVID relief, job training opportunities, youth diversion programs, public transportation, transportation infrastructure and the logistics industry.
~~~Event Details~~~
WHO
Congresswoman Norma J. Torres
Local Experts on Housing, Transportation & the Economy
Residents from across the Inland Empire
WHAT
Listening Sessions on Building Back the I.E. Economy
REDLANDS, CA—- As a result of new State public health orders and increased COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Inland Empire, the Board of Trustees of the A.K. Smiley Public Library voted unanimously Tuesday, December 8, to suspend in-person library services through at least Jan. 4, 2021.
“We regret having to take this step and are hopeful that conditions will allow us to resume in-person services sometime early in the new year,” said Board of Trustees President Bill Hatfield.
Books, magazines and DVDs will still be available from the Smiley Library’s Books-to-Go program. Cardholders can select materials online, by email or over the phone. Details are available on the library’s website at www.akspl.org.
Other electronic resources, including virtual storytimes and programming, databases, digital editions of the New York Times, Flipster magazine service and the Kanopy and Kanopy for Kids streaming networks are available online 24/7 for all Smiley Library cardholders.
Patrons can continue to return material into the library’s book drop; however, the library will be unable to accept donated material until further notice.
For further information, visit the library’s website or call (909) 798-7565
Although spare change technology, also known as round-ups, has been around for a few years, Dominique King, Founder of I Heart My HBCU, was the first to bridge this technology to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) via a single mobile app.
“I Heart My HBCU became the first platform where users could donate spare change to any of the 104 HBCUs in one place,” says King.
King launched this groundbreaking funding platform three years ago, in 2017, joining an elite group of black women tech entrepreneurs. This technology could have been directed towards many other areas of need, but her plan was to preserve the rich heritage of HBCUs and combat challenges that lead to the closures of some of these great institutions, such as Concordia College in Alabama.
King is passionate about her efforts to preserve the viability of these institutions; being a HBCU graduate herself, of the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C., she knows first-hand the importance of not only the cultural significance of HBCUs, but the vital role that the education she received at Howard has played in the many successes she has earned in her life to this point. In her consistent and constantly evolving spirit to give back, she toiled tirelessly to develop a novel way to support HBCUs in their efforts to continue producing scholars and leaders of today and tomorrow. It was out of this spirit of selflessness that I Heart My HBCU was born.
How It Works
In as little as 2-minutes, users can download the I Heart My HBCU app in iOS or Android stores and link their bank account. The I Heart My HBCU app rounds up each credit or debit card purchase to the nearest dollar. The spare change will then be donated to the user’s five favorite HBCUs.
“When creating this app, it was important for me to encourage HBCU Alumnae to support all HBCUs. Users can easily adjust how much or how little of their spare change they share to their five favorite HBCUs,” says King.
Always innovating, King is continually updating the app to attract more non-HBCU alumnae, in an effort to help HBCUs expand their donor base beyond its students and alumnae, into other segments of the Black community and all supportive communities in general. While HBCU alumnae are large in numbers, preserving our HBCUs will take a community effort. I Heart My HBCU’s chat integration creates a virtual community for HBCU alumnae, the Divine Nine, and friends of HBCUs to network, exchange ideas, support other black-owned businesses and, most importantly, support HBCUs. During a time when people are increasingly isolated due to the pandemic, we need a tool that fosters community. Recognizing the dire need for communal interaction, I Heart My HBCU intentionally goes beyond a “set and forget” platform and attempts to attract new users and keep them engaged with features such as chatrooms, in-app challenges, and even the chance to get your student loans paid!
About I Heart My HBCU
Founded in 2017, I Heart My HBCU is committed to supporting the educational institutions that help shape creative, talented, and brilliant young black minds, and to pay homage to the incredible role that these institutions have played in the lives of all of its alumnae by securing an even brighter future for its current students and those yet to come. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, 80 cents of every dollar will go towards funding Student Scholarships – Student Emergency Fund – Sports Programs – Academic Programs – Campus Upgrades – Endowments, and more.
This past weekend, Martin Jenkins, California’s first and only African American Supreme Court Justice, swore in former California State Sen. Holly Mitchell to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.
For the first time in history, the five-member leadership team that Mitchell is joining, which represents nine cities in California’s most populous county, is composed of all women. Mitchell will serve as chair Pro Tem of the current board, which Los Angeles County political insiders have now dubbed the “fab five.”
Representing the county’s Second District, Mitchell is the second Black woman to serve on the board that oversees Los Angeles County’s robust $36 billion budget, the largest for a county government in the country. The first Black woman to serve on the board of supervisors was Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke. She served twice: from 1992 to 2008 and from 1979-1980.
“I have to think that somewhere on high, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is smiling,” said Jenkins in his remarks, acknowledging the installation of the all-women county board. “When she was asked by a reporter how many women it would take for her to feel that there was enough diversity on the Supreme Court, she said ‘all nine, all of them” Jenkins said, quoting Ginsburg. “And in the fab five, you all have accomplished just that.”
Before the administering the oath, on a more personal note, Jenkins praised Mitchell, who he says he says he has known for over 25 years, for her accomplishments and leadership ability.
“Holly is a deeply committed public servant,” Jenkins continued. “She’s the best kind of public servant. She’s smart, a true visionary, pragmatic in her judgments, humble and forceful at the same time. And last, she is a leader – a charismatic leader.”
Mitchell, who represented the state’s 30th Senate District and was the only African American woman serving in the California State Senate from 2013 to 2020, succeeds Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is also Black. In her new role she represents the Second District of Los Angeles County. The district covers an area that includes parts of Los Angeles, Carson, Compton, Inglewood, Mar Vista, Ladera Heights, Crenshaw, Lynwood, and other cities. It is located in the region of the state that has the highest number of African Americans.
“Equity will be at the center of all of our work,” Mitchell promised in her remarks. “As we fight to bring more housing to those in need, more mental health services, more job opportunities and real second chances for re-entry, they will be accomplished through that lens. And I look forward to collaborating with the newly-formed anti-racism initiative established by the supervisors.”
Mitchell joins the board when Los Angeles County faces the worst occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. The county also faces a homelessness crisis that is the worst in the country, heightened racial tensions, a strained relationship between law enforcement and minority residents of the county, among other problems.
The other women on the board are: Hilda L. Solis (First District), who served as United States Secretary of Labor during the Obama administration; Sheila Kuehl (Third District); Janice Hahn (Fourth District); and Kathryn Barger (Fifth District).
During the virtual swearing-in ceremony, soul singer and Oakland native Goapele sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” and religious leaders representing Christianity, Judaism and Islam offered prayers. The event’s Master of Ceremony Manuel Pastor, a professor at the University of Southern California, also paid tribute to Native American ancestors he called the “caretakers of the land.”
Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles), who says she looks up to Mitchell and considers her a “big sister,” has announced that she is throwing her hat in the race for Mitchell’s Senate seat.
In another virtual ceremony last Friday, Gov. Newsom swore in Jenkins to the California Supreme Court.
“The residents of the Second District are fortunate to have you represent them,” said Ridley-Thomas to Mitchell. Ridley-Thomas served on the board for 12 years.
“I’ve worked with Holly for many years through state and county partnerships, tackling some of the most daunting social issues of our time — homelessness, child maltreatment, human trafficking, poverty, criminal justice reform and structural racism,” Ridley-Thomas said. “She is a trailblazer, a leader, a fighter on the frontlines pushing for equity and justice for those who have no one else to stand up for them.”
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