By Hermene D. Hartman

The shouting is over. The 2020 Democratic National Convention was well crafted, programed and designed. The Democrats told the stories of the candidates.

President Bill Clinton reminded us of another time when he was President. Hillary Clinton reminded us that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris could win by 3 million votes and still lose. Trust me she knows what she’s talking about.

President Barack Obama gave us a strong and forceful lesson on constitutional law. He powerfully presented in unprecedented terms how Trump as President, just didn’t have it. He pulled no punches. He stated, “I never expected Trump to embrace my vision or continue my policies, I did hope (for the sake of our country) that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously.” “Trump has shown no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get more attention he craves.” He said that Joe and Kamala will rescue the economy and deeply cared about Americans, together they would get the pandemic under control.

Michelle Obama gave it to us middle of the road, southside girl style, stating the facts of the case and telling it like older generations use to say “T-I-S!” Wearing a “Vote” necklace, Michelle called Trump by his name and said “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country.” We watched a moving documentary on democracy.

The highlight of the convention was the introduction of Kamala Harris. We heard of her background being raised as a Black woman born of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. Her mother, a biologist and cancer researcher, raised her and her sister as a single parent, and her father left the family when she was 5 years old. Her mother is deceased. Her dad is an economics scholar and was the first Black male to gain tenure at Stanford University.

As we listened and watched Kamala accept the Democratic nomination for vice president, we wondered if we were watching a future president. She could make astounding history as the first woman and the second Black in the Oval Office. Wow. This could really happen in our lifetime. A lady from Howard University could possibly lead the White House. Hello to all of the AKA’s.

Harris meets ambivalence with some Black men as they question her deeds as a prosecuting attorney in California. She locked many of them up. She will be questioned, yet she was only doing her job. But, would you rather have Trump? That’s the legitimate question.

Dr. Jill Biden will make her very own history as First Lady, community college professor and super mom if Joe’s elected president. She promised that she wouldn’t leave her students, not even for the job at the White House. She will be the first First Lady with outside employment. Let’s see how that works and who enrolls next semester.

Finally candidate, former vice president Joe Biden. Joe presented himself in a strong speech, perhaps the best in his 47 years of public service. It wasn’t a convention speech but felt like a fireside chat. He was compassionate, elegant, dignified and real. He told his story about his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania where he knew real life causalities, from his Dad’s loss of job, to the accidental tragic death of his first wife and daughter.

His political journey has been from being the youngest Senator to being possibly the eldest President. When he lost his first wife and daughter in a tragic car accident in 1972, he commuted to work every day via Amtrak to and from Washington, DC every day (the trip’s about 90 minutes) and tucked his kids in bed nightly, as they got through the pain. He did this for 36 years. He lost his son, Bo, to brain cancer. You could hear Biden’s pride of his son the solider, as he went into public office, yet the agony lingers as he tell us, you never get over it. If you don’t identify with that, you are heartless.

During his speech, Biden pulled at your heartstrings as he spoke about his personal stuttering. He introduced to a young boy he met on the campaign trail, with the same problem. Biden told the 13-year-old boy how to conquer his speaking issue. “Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to” he said.

The convention was staged beautifully. It was different. It’s messages deliberate. Zoom was used at its best especially during the home spun roll calls. No fanfare, no balloons or confetti, no applause, no tears, and no cheers. Taped speeches were controlled and purposeful as they were delivered with everyone talking straight to the American public, from their living rooms to ours. It was cozy, casual and comfortable.

As perfect as the Democratic National Convention was, its speakers missed a few things. They missed telling us their plans on what they will do with program and policy for the future of America. Many of them ran against Trump, but did they run for a Democratic platform? We assume it will be better with Biden’s seniority and his lovely family but what should we expect? In the days to come we need to hear the Biden-Harris platform and not just see pretty faces and storytelling.

What about the eradication of racism in this era of Black Lives Matter? What about the economy, as we face a changing face of culture with the pandemic? What about police reform? What about education? Kids have missed a full year of school. We need to hear policy positions.

I like the idea very much that the future Vice President is in place. Kamala will represent a new generation. She will be groomed to assume office if need be. I like that Biden knows his way around the White House from his vice presidency days. I like the fact that he knows the Senate and can cross the aisle to get things done. I like his seniority very much. He can hit the ground running with vigor and energy as an expert surgeon. Experience matters. Biden’s experience matters.

Enters Trump…

And now comes the movement of Trump. He plans on appearing all four days of the Republican National Convention. His talks will be bold, pompous, filled with greatness and illusions of grandeur. His will be a scene from a patriot play that speaks in code to the ways of yesteryear, filled with America great slogans.

The rose garden has a new look for the television screen. Trump will tell us with boundless optimism how great he is, as he plays the political hand that has destroyed the Republican Party. He takes us backwards to a place we won’t go, as he disrupts even the post office. He challenges the system in a bold crazy way with his lovely fashionable family at his side as main speakers of the Trump parade.

His presidency is a virtual reality show. The last three years of his presidency has been flawed and Trump will tell us of the many hoaxes during his last three years.

Trump is not to be discounted, ignored or dismissed. He is ruthless and enjoys the attention of being president. He’s nothing but outrageous – from challenging birthing and calling people out of name. It’s nothing but a good hand of playing “signifying monkey.” His tactics work for him, because they are so daring. He’s like the drunk in the bar that everybody laughs and listens to, but nobody puts him out. They do nothing but give him another drink so that he can be more outrageously offensive.

Trump is not to be under estimated. He is a master of the media. He is bold. He’s an escaped convict running desperate. He’s a pied piper. All of his men have been jailed for their wrongdoing. Trump will pardon them as he can. Trump is telling us loud and clear if he loses it will be because the Democrats cheated. Perhaps the U.S. marshall will be called to remove him from the White House.

Trump with his many conspiracy theories, tells us that the post office will fail us, especially with mail-in votes. So what does he do? He removes the mailboxes off the streets and destroys the sorting machines. He has no fear. He tells us that even if he looses, he will not leave the White House. We look in disbelief and wonder, what on earth will he do next as he mounts his campaign for a second term. How much more offensive can he be? What other lunatic tactics and alien-like methodology will he use in a second term? Mrs. Obama has warned that it could get worse. This will only add to more fodder for books written about his ill and zany ways.

These are amazing times that we live in. As society changes daily, we watch old ways become new. We watch with fright and astonishment as we cope with a world pandemic, that the leader of the free world cannot embrace. He tells us it will be all right eventually, rather than pay attention to the science of the matter. Yet Trump will try and take credit for everything once a cure is found for COVID-19.

As we pray, we better damn sure get out to vote, at all cost. The vote is the only thing we can do to save America. Vote Trump out. Vote for Joe Biden. We HAVE to save our democracy. America’s at stake, please STAY woke.
The best thing that can happen to American democracy is to tell Trump “You’re FIRED!”

VOTE. Please share.

Promotion allows families to take an affordable, safe rail trip to explore the region – without sitting in traffic 

LOS ANGELES – After months at home, SoCal families are looking to add some enjoyment to their weekends, and Metrolink has just the ticket – a free ticket for kids. Beginning Saturday, August 29, Metrolink is introducing Kids Ride Free on weekends anywhere Metrolink travels across six Southern California counties.

“After being cooped up we know folks are ready to change their routines with fun, yet safe, activities for the entire family,” said Metrolink Board Chair Brian Humphrey.

“When you ride the train, the journey is a part of the experience and we want families to enjoy a special and affordable train experience as they explore the many outdoor activities we all love about Southern California.”

With the Kids Ride Free on Weekends promotion, up to three children 17 years old and under ride free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. And on weekends, each adult pays just $10 to ride Metrolink anywhere each day. 

Southern California is rich with places families can safely visit while still following health experts’ recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Metrolink provides rail service in six counties, so there’s no shortage of fun and safe places to go, without having to fight traffic to get there.
Some ideas:·      

Load the family bicycles in the bike car (there’s one on each train) and head out to explore SoCal by bike.·      

Take a trip to LA Union Station and take a self-guided walking tour (or bike tour) of Historic Downtown LA.·      

Bring some art into your lives: take a train to one of the many destinations showcased in Mural Map LA and see some spectacular street art that makes Southern California so special. 

Take a train to Riverside and take a self-guided tour of historic downtown, which is a 15 minute walk from the Downtown Riverside Metrolink Station.·      

Bring your surfboard and ride to the San Clemente Pier for a day of surf and sun.

Metrolink is a comfortable way for families to travel, with spacious double-decker trains and windows that allow families to enjoy the beautiful mountain, ocean and city views we can often miss while sitting in freeway traffic. On-board amenities include a variety of seating configurations – including face-to-face seating and tables perfect for groups – and a restroom and two hand sanitizer stations on each train car. Plus, there’s a bike car on every train, so families can load up their bicycles and bike to their final destinations. Bike cars can also accommodate surfboards, beach and picnic gear, strollers and wagons, everything needed for a fun day out.

“The Metrolink experience is centered around the needs and enjoyment of our customers – all of them. So, our service and amenities are as well suited to families as they are to a traditional commuter,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Metrolink CEO.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer families a safe and exciting experience that’s also affordable, particularly in these uncertain times.”

Safety is foundational at Metrolink, so face masks are required aboard Metrolink trains and on station platforms. And Metrolink has implemented enhanced deep cleaning protocols including the use of an electrostatic sprayer that mists each train car with hospital grade disinfectants every day, and an expanded Clean Care Crew that cleans, wipes down and disinfects trains throughout the day.

Plus, families can be assured that there’s plenty of space for social distancing by using the online tool How Full is My Train? where riders can check any train’s recent ridership levels. To see all the ways, Metrolink is working to keep team members and riders safe, please visit metrolinktrains.com/cleancommute. 

Kids Ride Free every Saturday and Sunday while the promotion lasts. Adults can purchase a $10 Weekend Pass at ticket machines or by using the mobile app – a contactless way to purchase a ticket. No need to purchase tickets for the children; they simply board the train with their parents. 

For more information on Kids Ride Free Weekends and to learn about area destinations to see by train please visit metrolinktrains.com/kidsridefree.

Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Sachi A. Hamai, who agreed to temporarily postpone her retirement to help lead the County through the initial phase of the COVID-19 emergency, announced that she will retire at the end of August 2020.

“This has been a challenging and tumultuous period for our County and its residents, and it has been an honor to help lead our workforce in its unprecedented response to COVID-19. While we still have a long way to travel on our road to recovery, our budgetary and public health situation is beginning to stabilize and I believe the time is right for me to continue with the retirement plans I first announced last October,” Hamai said. “I am confident that our Board of Supervisors, along with our department heads and exceptional workforce, will successfully lead Los Angeles County through recovery and into a healthier, more equitable future.

“This week marks my 32^nd year of County service. Although the challenges of the current moment are immense, I also reflect proudly on accomplishments during my tenure that have positioned us to meet today’s challenges from a position of fiscal strength—including our strongest-ever credit ratings and substantial investments in our rainy day funds.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to have served. I will never forget the incredible fellow employees who have partnered with me every step of the way.”

Members of the Board of Supervisors thanked Hamai for her public service—including her decision to postpone her retirement in order to help the County navigate one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.

“I want to thank our CEO Sachi Hamai for her unwavering commitment and dedication to Los Angeles County, most recently evidenced by her willingness to postpone her retirement to help us navigate the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “The Board of Supervisors is fortunate to have had Ms. Hamai at the helm of our CEO operations for the last several years. Her leadership and keen fiscal sense, coupled with her collaborative spirit, have greatly benefited Los Angeles County as a whole, and all of our residents and businesses throughout the region.”

“Sachi Hamai has demonstrated steady leadership during this unprecedented moment in the County’s history,” said Board Chair Pro Tem Hilda L. Solis. “She has managed the day-to-day operations of this country’s largest municipal government with singular focus. I thank Sachi for her years of service to our County residents, and in particular, for her dedication these past few months in responding to this public health crisis.”

“CEO Sachi Hamai has been an exceptional leader in moving Los Angeles County forward,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “Her budgetary acumen, coupled with her commitment to serving the underserved, has enabled us to invest deeply in some of the most important priorities of our time, including justice reform and the fight to end homelessness, while maintaining the fiscal prudence that has earned the County its highest-ever credit ratings. She has been a mentor and role model to a generation of County leaders, including women and people of color, and her legacy as a collaborative, results-oriented CEO will continue to shape the workings of Los Angeles County government well into the future.”

“Every County CEO needs to be a political wizard, a genius with money, and a long-distance runner,” Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said. “Sachi gets an A+ in all three, plus being a mentor and a champion for women and people of color in government leadership. I am so grateful for her more than three decades of service, and can’t imagine the County without her.”

“We owe Sachi Hamai a great debt of gratitude,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Not only did she postpone her hard-earned retirement to guide the County through this unprecedented crisis, her careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars throughout her tenure kept our budget sound and balanced so that the Board’s priorities were always doable.  She has been an incredibly effective leader and has accomplished so much for the County’s ten million residents over her 32 years of service.”

The Board has appointed Chief Operating Officer Fesia Davenport to serve as Acting Chief Executive Officer.

Fighting to uphold the Constitutional right to vote, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas urged the Board of Supervisors to oppose the Trump Administration’s cost-cutting efforts at the United States Postal Service, calling it a brazen attack on Americans’ ability to vote by mail.

Acting on his motion, Board Chair Pro Tem Hilda Solis issued an Executive Order authorizing County Counsel to join litigation as amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court). The Board is expected to ratify the Executive Order when it reconvenes on September 1^st.

“We’ve fought too hard to have our voices heard on Election Day, and we cannot allow the Postmaster General to suppress our right to vote by mail and undermine a pillar of our democracy,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “It is imperative that we take a stand so voters can cast their ballots without having go to a polling station during a pandemic.”

US Rep. Karen Bass, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, expressed support for the motion during a Facebook Live conversation with Supervisor Ridley-Thomas on leadership and community organizing. She is among the leading Congressional representatives calling for the resignation of the US Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, and for the Trump Administration to cease any “operational initiatives” that will have an impact on election mail.

“My father was a letter carrier for more than 30 years here in Los Angeles,” Rep. Bass said. “The US Postal Service is not only vital to our election, but also to the livelihood of so many in our communities. The Post Office is one of the largest employers of veterans. We must continue to do all that we can to protect this institution from those who are looking to destroy it.”

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has fought for voting rights for decades. He founded the African American Voter Registration, Education, and Participation (AAVREP) in 2002, the largest organized effort to register African American and urban voters in California. This after a decade of service as the Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose national organization was founded by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

More recently, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has worked with Susan Burton, founder of the nonprofit A New Way of Life, to support L.A. Free the Vote, aimed at increasing the civic engagement of people in the justice system.

“As a formerly incarcerated person, I know that my vote matters. I depend on the Post Office to deliver my vote to the County Registrar Recorder’s Office,” Burton said. “We are appalled at the Trump administration’s attempt to disrupt the United States Postal Service during such a critical time.” A New Way of Life helps formerly incarcerated women successfully reenter society by connecting them to supportive services. It works to restore the civil rights of formerly incarcerated people, including their right to vote.

The USPS has always played a central role in the functioning of American democracy but has become even more critical amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people rely on mail not only to cast ballots but also to receive life-saving medications and other supplies during a time when it is incredibly risky to gather in one place, stand in line, and touch the same election machinery. 

Despite that, Postmaster General DeJoy recently, and just months before the November 3rdGeneral Election, decided to implement changes at the USPS without first seeking authority from the Postal Commission, and despite acknowledging that the service reductions would result in “mail left behind.” DeJoy, a Republican Party and Trump campaign donor, later canceled some of the changes after a public outcry. The USPS, however, has already removed many mailboxes from service across several states.

The Attorneys General of Washington, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin have all filed lawsuits opposing the changes. The Attorneys General of Pennsylvania, with California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York, are also expected to the challenge the changes in court.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

Eric Garner’s mother Gwendolyn Carr says, for Black Men, selling a single cigarette, known as “loosey,” can lead to an arrest, a prison sentence or even death. 

Six years ago, a police officer put her son in a chokehold and strangled him to death for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes on Staten Island, a borough of New York City. 

Now, Carr is speaking out in a new video against California Senate Bill (SB) 793, which she says will create the same circumstances – the illegal sale and use of menthol cigarettes and aggressive, racially-biased law enforcement — that led to her son’s death. If the Senate passes the bill and Gov. Newsom signs it into law, it would ban the sale of menthol tobacco and other flavored cigarette products. 

“A new law would criminalize menthol cigarettes, which Black people smoke almost exclusively, giving police officers another excuse to harm and arrest any Black man, woman or child they choose,” Carr says in the video opposing SB 793. “A bad law has consequences for mothers like me.” 

Carr is not alone in her opinion of the bill. Across California, there is opposition to SB 793, which, if passed, would become the country’s strongest restriction on flavored tobacco products, including Newport, Kool and Salem cigarettes — three brands Blacks disproportionately smoke. 

Old and young, faith leaders, retired law enforcement officers, and civil rights activists came together to protest SB 793. At protests in Los Angeles and Sacramento on Aug. 20, they called out the inherent discrimination coded into the language and spirit of SB 793, which California Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) authored. 

“The goal of this protest is to ensure we are heard,” said Rev. K.W. Tulloss, President of Baptist Ministers Conference Los Angeles and co-founder of Neighborhood FORWARD, a community-based social action organization. “SB 793 is a bad bill that’s not good for California. The unintended consequences of this legislation are real. Bills like this take us backward.” 

But on the same day of the protests, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the bill, sending the bill to the full Assembly for consideration. 

The rallies were two in a series of three held against SB793. The first one was held in front of the home of California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). 

Like Carr, people and organizations that oppose SB 793 say it is discriminatory because some adult tobacco products — those preferred by Whites – are exempted from the ban. 

Meanwhile, the tobacco products preferred by African American adult smokers, menthol cigarettes, are included in the ban. Exemptions in SB 793 include shisha tobacco, which is used in hookah water pipes, premium tobacco, and loose-leaf tobacco. 

The retail sale of flavored handmade premium cigars with a minimum price of $12 are also not prohibited under this bill. 

Some California residents say that the exemptions for certain kinds of tobacco nearly mirror laws that unequally penalized people for selling or possessing the same amounts of crack cocaine and powdered cocaine. 

In 1986, the federal government passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which mandated stiffer punishments for people who sold crack cocaine, the rock form of the drug, which more Blacks used. Penalties for possessing or distributing cocaine powder, preferred by Whites, were much lighter. Distributing just five grams of crack triggered a federal mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years. But it required 500 grams of cocaine for a distributor to receive a federal prison sentence of the same length of time – a 100:1 disparity. 

Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) agree that the bill has a racist element to it. They say the bill demonstrates clear discrimination and preferential treatment between two tobacco products preferred by two different cultural groups. 

“We will not and cannot stand for more policies that resemble another Black tax yet find a way to make concessions and amendments for certain groups,” Rev. Tulloss said. “Hookah is exempted, yet menthol cigarettes are not. The Speaker can make this bill fair and that’s all we’re asking.” 

Existing law prohibits a person from selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco products to a person under 21 years of age. It also prohibits the use of tobacco products in county offices of education, on charter school or school district property, or near a playground or youth sports event. 

If SB 793 passes, each violation of the law would be punishable by a fine of $250. 

“Using candy, fruit, and other alluring flavors, the tobacco industry weaponized its tactics to beguile a new generation into nicotine addiction while keeping longtime users hooked. SB 793 breaks Big Tobacco’s death grip,” said Hill said after the Senate voted 33-4 to advance the bill to the Assembly last month. 

An estimated seven out of 10 African American youth ages 12 to 17 years smoke menthol cigarettes, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, African American adults make up the largest percentage of menthol cigarette users compared to other racial and ethnic groups, the CDC says. 

The coalition of SB 793 supporters include the Office of Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Common Sense Kids, who are all bill sponsors. 

“SB 793 coauthors, cosponsors, African American thought leaders in government, health, the faith community, science, the arts and among our youth, as well as other supporters, have provided strong counterpoints to the obfuscation,” Hill stated. “We are confident that together we can ensure the strongest tobacco control restrictions in the country become California law.”

Photo by Antonio R. Harvey

Tanu Henry | California Black Media 

On July 25, the federal government’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program ended for most states, leaving millions of Californians without the extra cash many of them had been relying on for months to make ends meet. 

The $600 extra in federal stimulus pay was added cushion to the amount states already provide for their residents in unemployment insurance payments. Created for Americans who lost their jobs due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the program was authorized by the Cornonavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act, which was signed into federal law in March. 

Then, last week, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved California’s application to participate in the federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program — funding that President Donald Trump authorized by memorandum Aug. 8. The LWA program provides $4.5 billion to California from which $300 extra in unemployment insurance benefits will be paid to individuals for three weeks. 

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have sought to maximize federally funded unemployment benefits to Californians. These benefits are critical for the basic security of families and communities and for our economy, which have been so devastated by the virus and its financial impacts,” said California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su after the EDD’s announcement. 

To qualify, unemployed Californians would have to already be eligible to receive at least $100 each week in unemployment benefits and they would have to provide proof that their job loss resulted from the coronavirus crisis. 

Although the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a fifth stimulus bill, the $3-trillion-dollar ‘‘Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the Senate has not brought it up for debate or vote. That bill includes an extension of the $600 federal supplement through Jan. 31, 2021. 

Senate Republicans have countered the $600-a-week proposal in the HEROES act with a $400 weekly payment in UI benefits. Democrats turned down that offer in negotiations. 

Some Republican Senators opposed to the $600 payment approved in the last stimulus package argued that it does not provide an incentive for workers who were laid off to look for work. 

“We cannot encourage people to make more money in unemployment than they do in employment,” Sen. Tim Scott (D-SC) pointed out. 

While the U.S. Congress decides what should be included in the next stimulus package, for now unemployed Californians can apply to get $300 a week extra in unemployment benefits 

dating back to Aug. 1. 

“As we modernize and strengthen the state’s unemployment insurance delivery system, we will continue to leverage any additional resources the federal government makes available,” Su said.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media  

Jonathan Burgess co-owns Burgess Brothers with his twin brother Matthew. It is a popular American bistro-slash-barbecue restaurant and food supply company based in Sacramento. Locals treasure them for their delicious waffles; handcrafted gourmet barbecue sauce; sweet and spicy smoked sausages; among other specialties.   

The African American entrepreneur says small family-owned businesses like his are tempted by what digital food delivery services might offer them: A broader customer base and online advertising on highly trafficked apps.    

But that exposure comes with a crippling cost.   

“There’s only like a very thin 5% profit margin for most small restaurants. It’s simple math. If you give Uber, Doordash or one of the others a nice chunk of that, it just doesn’t work out for you.”   

Burgess says food delivery services should offer special rates for mom and pop shops that are lower than what they charge chain restaurants. Those corporation-owned eateries typically buy their ingredients wholesale at much lower costs and they can make up for losses on delivery fees by what they make in volume.   

Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) has written a bill to address the challenges food delivery apps have posed for small restaurants like Burgess’s across California. When the chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and Latino Caucus introduced Assembly Bill 2149, the Fair Food Delivery Act in February, she did not know the COVID-19 pandemic would shutter restaurants across California, and around the world, about a month later.   

Now, more than five months since the World Health Organization declared the international health crisis a global pandemic, more Americans than ever, faced with limited dining-out options, are relying on food delivery apps to purchase meals from restaurants. Grubhub, one app-based food delivery service, reports that it has more than 27 million active users and its orders have increased by over 32% over the last year.  

But Gonzales says those large tech companies like Grubhub and its competitors Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates and others — all of them earn billions of dollars each year — take advantage of small struggling restaurants when they deliver those eateries’ food without their consent or an agreement.   

“When food delivery companies take advantage of small mom and pop restaurants by delivering their food without permission, it can damage the customer’s experience and the restaurant’s reputation,” Gonzalez said, adding that food delivery companies have created “significant disruption” in the food service business.   

If passed, AB 2149 would require all food delivery companies in California to get the “express written consent of a food facility before delivering the business’ food,” according to a statement Gonzalez’s office released.    

“This bill will put the power back in the hands of small restaurant owners by ensuring they have agreed to the delivery arrangement beforehand,” Gonzalez continued.   

She says food delivery services sometimes post outdated menus and provide poor service. Both things can harm a restaurants reputation, she argues. She also points out that the app-based companies may out-compete restaurants that have their own delivery service. In California, there are an estimated 76,201 food and drinking establishments, according to the California Restaurant Association (CRA). The CRA supports AB 2149. Hundreds of those California restaurants are Black-owned. In the Los Angeles area alone, for instance, there are nearly 200 African American-owned restaurants, according to Infatuation, an L.A-based website.   

But Courtney Jensen, who serves as the California executive director of? TechNet, a trade group that represents a number of leading tech companies says there are several problems with Gonzalez’s bill. Among them are the potential “flagrant” violation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the possibility that putting restrictions on delivery services could reduce the revenue of the same restaurants that the legislation intends to help.   Under AB 2149, food delivery services would have to turn over lists of the restaurants’ customers to them.   

“Some restaurants or other food facilities that may not be required to comply with CCPA would be provided consumer’s personal information,” Jensen told LA Magazine.

“By providing personal information to these food facilities, which are not required to comply with CCPA, the privacy rights of California consumers are undercut, as they would have no rights to access, delete, or opt out of sales of their personal information from these restaurants that either are not required or lack the resources to extend CCPA rights to consumers.”  

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco based non-profit that defends civil liberties in the digital space, also opposes the bill. That organization argues that the right of food delivery service companies to operate without formal agreements with restaurants is protected by the Copyright Act, a federal law passed in 1976.   

“AB 2149 is a poorly conceived attempt to hamstring food delivery platforms,” Jensen says. But Burgess maintains that promoting a third-party restaurant online without that business’s permission or buy-in is wrong.   

“It’s an intrusion. For the sake of decency and full transparency, these companies should get authorization before they advertise someone’s business,” he said. “This is not in the best interest of the restaurant.” 

Today, Sunday, August 23^rd, marks what would have been the 42^nd birthday of NBA legend, humanitarian and father Kobe Bryant, and now there’s a new song ascending into the heavens above Hollywood’s horizon, crowning the many touching tributes paid to late and legendary basketball superstar, who sadly, and tragically transitioned this life on January 26^th, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other souls.

The new musical track, titled “Mamba, We Love You,” co-composed by Annalea Diamond and Tony “Raheem” Thomas, both of Los Angeles, has been released for airing to radio and digital media nationwide. The song is beautifully crafted, artfully composed and lovingly performed, and everyone involved in bringing it to life view it as more than just their talents on display, but more so a divinely received gift.

Boasting masterful writing and performance touches by the acclaimed Thomas, whose body of work in the industry includes performing alongside such luminaries as Patrice Rushen, Donald Byrd & The Blackbyrds, Bobby Hutcherson and others, the track is beyond well-done and a fitting tribute to Bryant’s longstanding legacy of proud, unapologetic manhood. It also lifts up and celebrates his spirited example of sportsmanship, excellence and fatherhood on and off the court. So well done is it, in fact—and such a lush, beautiful track—that it just simply must be heard to be appreciated.

“Thinking ’bout Kobe Bryant, strong like a mighty lion…

Mamba, we love you. Oh Mamba, we love you.

More than a basketball star, he was a family man.

You’ll always be near in our hearts, always and forever.

We celebrate you, miss you, and we’ll never forget you…”

–lyrics from “Mamba, We Love You,” © 2020 by Annalea Diamond and Tony Thomas

“It came to me like rain,” says Ms. Diamond, recalling what inspired her to sit down and put pen to paper. “That’s the best way I could describe it. We (she and Thomas) actually put it to bed within a couple of days. When the song first came to me, I had to stop and pray because the whole situation with the accident was just so traumatic. I basically had to stop and have a conversation with God in prayer, and that’s when the words really started to culminate.”

Continues Ms. Diamond: “He (Kobe Bryant) has just been a part of us Californians for many years. They call the Staples Center ‘The House that Kobe Built.’ Also, being a parent myself…or anyone who’s a parent and has something so tragic like this happen to you—this just needed to be said. I’m thankful that the song came to, and through me. There are so many people hurting right now because of what happened.”

For his part as not just co-writer, but also arranger and keyboardist, Thomas drew upon a similar, higher source for his inspiration. “The way ‘Mamba, We Love You’ was formulated, I really just believed that it was a divine intervention,” he states. “When she brought to me what she had written, I didn’t have a bridge, and I didn’t know where she was going with it, but everything just started to present itself right before my eyes on the keyboard. To my surprise, the lyrics just matched everything that I put down.”

Ms. Diamond sang all lead vocals, while vocalist Leslie Cole, best-known for her work with the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production team of Motown Records fame, performed background. The track was recorded and produced by James Shifflett. Shifflett has recorded such artists as Barbara Streisand, Lou Rawls and The Brothers Johnson, contributing to each of their chart-topping success.

Kobe B. Bryant was an American professional basketball player, who played his entire 20-season career with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant nicknamed himself “Black Mamba” in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by Lakers fans, sports writers and enthusiasts and the general public.

About Annalea Diamond
Annalea Diamond is an emerging new singer-songwriter/artist based in Los Angeles.

About Tony Thomas

Tony Thomas (a.k.a. ‘Raheem’) composed the song, “Baby, You Got It,” which was included on the soundtrack of the 2004 Paramount Pictures film, Against the Ropes starring Omar Epps and Meg Ryan. He has also recorded with The Waters Family and The Dramatics among numerous others, and has performed on-stage with such highly respected artists as Patrice Rushen, Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds, Bobby Hutcherson and many more.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media    

Governor Newsom signed AB 1460 into law on Monday, August 17.

The new state law requires California State University (CSU), the nation’s largest four-year public university system, to provide courses in Ethnic studies at each of its 23 campuses beginning with the 2021–22 academic year and requires CSU students to take a 3-credit course in Ethnic studies in order to graduate beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year. 

The bill was introduced last year by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), professor emeritus of?Africana studies at San Diego State, on behalf of the California Faculty Association (CFA) and with support from the legislative ethnic caucuses (Black, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander). It passed on Aug. 3 after legislators engaged in personal and passionate debates during committee hearings and on the floor of the Assembly and Senate as each expressed their perspectives on the pressing need for our society to deal with its history of racial inequities.? 

Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity that gained acceptance nationally in universities following the 1960’s Black student uprisings. Research shows that students of color and white students benefit academically and socially from taking Ethnic studies courses. These courses can play an important role in building an inclusive multicultural democracy. 

According to Charles Toombs, CFA president and a professor of Africana Studies at San Diego State, Ethnic studies differs from other disciplines. It is crucial in its own right.  

Because of that, AB1460 specifies that CSU students take a course in one of the

four historically defined racialized core groups: African American studies, Latino studies, Native American studies or Asian American studies.  

The bill states, “It is the intent of the Legislature that students of the California State University acquire the knowledge and skills that will help them comprehend the diversity and social justice history of the United States and of the society in which they live to enable them to contribute to that society as responsible and constructive citizens.” 

AB1460 passed despite opposition from CSU Chancellor Timothy White, the Academic Senate of the California State University, and the leadership at all 23 CSU campuses.  

Chancellor White asked the Executive Senate Committee at each CSU campus to write a letter of opposition when the bill was introduced. Allison Wren from CSU Academic Affairs Division presented CSU’s three main objections to AB 1460 at an Assembly Higher Education Committee Hearing. 

“First, we believe the legislature should not impose curriculum,” Wren said. “A legislative mandate, such as this will set the dangerous precedent of allowing the government to determine curriculum. And this does in fact threaten the academic freedom of our campuses.” 

“Second, the proposed bill is not necessary,” she continued. “We already have cultural diversity requirements on all 23 campuses. Many of these requirements are met by existing courses in Ethnic studies or courses and other departments such as anthropology, history, gender Women’s Studies, among many others.”

“Finally, such a requirement could adversely impact our associate degrees for transfers programs. The bill could potentially also adversely impact CSU graduation.” 

Weeks before AB 1460 passed, CSU trustees approved an “Ethnic studies and Social Justice” studies graduation requirement as an amendment to the school’s general education curriculum. Its critics say the approval was timed to present Newsom with an alternative to AB 1460. 

The 13-5 vote of CSU trustees marks the first significant change to the university’s general education requirements in 40 years. The approved courses include the four core Ethnic studies disciplines AB 1460 requires and adds courses on the history and culture of other oppressed groups, such as Muslims, Jews or LGBTQ people. The requirement goes into effect in the 2023-24 school year. 

The board members acknowledged the need for more Ethnic studies, citing that the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the national protests over police violence and systemic racism resonated in their thoughts as they voted.  

However, in a letter to Chancellor White before the trustee vote, legislators, led by Assemblymember Weber, pointed out that the policy, “does not respond to the challenges we currently face, has been rejected by the faculty, and is not supported by students.” 

“The changes proposed by the Chancellor’s office will significantly water down the intent of AB 1460 and will result in something akin to a “diversity” requirement, which was not developed in collaboration with the CSU Council on Ethnic Studies,” she added.  

CFA said, “How the board can look at anyone with a straight face and say that an Ethnic studies requirement can be fulfilled without ever having to take a course in Ethnic studies is beyond believable.”  

Weber followed that up by commenting that though it’s written as an Ethnic studies requirement, the policy approved by the CSU board permits students to meet it without actually taking an Ethnic studies course.  By signing AB 1460, Newsom sided with Weber and her legislative colleagues in deciding that a strict definition of Ethnic studies was needed to supersede the policy that CSU trustees approved.  

AB 1460 is the first time the Legislature dictated a CSU graduation requirement. The Legislature fully debated this departure from precedent and concluded that the CSU system on its own lacked the will to adequately tackle society’s reckoning around race and inclusion. 

Weber in explaining why it was necessary for the legislature to act said, “I know the Ivory Tower seldom opens its door unless the door’s kicked down. And that’s the reality of the Ivory Tower.” AB 1460 is inspired by the legacy of Ethnic studies that arose out of the protests and activism of CSU students demanding course offerings that covered the experiences of oppressed racial American communities.

Newsom by acknowledging that legacy is advancing the proposition that radical change on race in our public higher education system has to be fostered and is directing that policy be instituted that assures CSU students are introduced to perspectives critically needed to solve society’s most pressing problems as a requirement for graduation.

By Yera Nanan

On July 23, Greater Zion Church Family head pastor, Michael Fisher, hosted a Facebook Live conversation via Zoom which discussed the topic of criminalizing menthol.

This Zoom call featured a distinguished panel of guests that had interest and knowledge in discussing Senate Bill 793, which directly affects the flavor menthol.

SB 793 is a bill that would prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and/or having the product with the intention of selling it. This bill stems from the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act, which was made effective Jan. 1, 1995 to stop the selling of tobacco products to persons under 21 years of age.

As the Zoom call commenced, a theme that became recurring throughout the conversation was no one is in support of any using tobacco products but there is an argument as to whether legislation can create harm for the Black community.  Senior pastor at Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church, K.W. Tulloss, started off the argument by being opposed to the bill since he believes it will increase the criminalization of Black people.  “A bill that is prohibiting and possibly criminalizing our community is a bill that we cannot support”, said Tulloss.

Tulloss acknowledges that smoking has been a problem in the community for long time but efforts should be poised toward educating people instead of unwanted attention by authorities.

The American Lung Association reports that nearly 17 percent of smokers in this country come from the African-American community, making them the second largest ethnic population of smokers.  Out of this ethnic population, roughly 3 in 4 smokers use menthol cigarettes which can make the smoking process easier yet harder to quit.  Carson Councilmember, Jawane Hilton, expressed how this ban is targeting menthol and people within the community will be negatively affected by this.

“I think it has a few consequences in it that we need to rethink…we have a broad brush and we need to paint the brush back just a little bit to make sure out community is healthy”, said Hilton.

Pastor William D. Smart Jr. of Christ Liberation Ministries, also added to the argument by making this a civil rights issue.  “You cannot deny us a cigarette but not deny it to White people and their predominant choice…to me that’s racism and discrimination”, said Smart.

He argued that White people predominately smoke Newport cigarettes which have no flavor and hookah tobacco retailers are exempt from this bill which took the Mediterranean population into consideration.   Others in this discussion felt that this is not a matter of race but instead this bill help save Black lives in the long run.

ES Advisors Group President, Edward Sanders, supports the bill getting passed since he believes it will help not only the Black community but all communities.  “If there is one thing you can do to save Black lives, it is moving menthol off the market…it’s not a question of racism and special treatment”, said Sanders.

The CDC reports that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States with more that 480,000 deaths annually.  Sanders argues that 45,000 of those deaths are African-Americans with tobacco being a major contributor to heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.   Co-Chairperson of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, Carol McGruder, also supports SB 793 and argues that racism doesn’t play a role in this specific bill.

“The FDA in two different reports said it would be in the best interest of the public to take menthol off the market…we want to take off a product that kills 45,000 Black people every year in this country”, said McGruder.

The African American Tobacco Control Leadership council is suing the FDA since they believe they have not protected Black people and racism can be found on their end.  Councilwoman Michelle Chambers of District 1 in the City of Compton, also gave her input on where resources and attention should be directed which is healthcare.

“Give us some money for cessation…help us with cancer research and help us with mental therapy”, said Chambers.   As someone who is against the bill, she argues that if this bill passes another George Floyd or Eric Garner incident could ensue and the criminal justice will be affected.   As this bill continues to make its way through the legislature, the debate still remains if this will help reduce tobacco use across the board or marginalize the Black community even more.

The California Senate has already passed the bill and it will make its way to the Assembly for consideration.