In the height of COVID and now flu season, it is critical that people get tested and get a flu shot. Here are a few locations that are offering FREE testing and shots. Appointments are recommended; walk-ins accepted based upon availability. No symptoms required. No appointment needed for flu shots. All clients MUST wear a face covering.
Rancho Cucamonga – Rancho Sports Center 8303 Rochester Ave., Rancho Cucamonga Dec. 4 from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. *Offering FREE flu shots! No appointment required*
Redlands – The Contemporary Club 173 S. Eureka St., Redlands Dec. 4 – 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Rancho Cucamonga – Victoria Gardens Cultural Center 12505 Cultural Center Dr., Rancho Cucamonga Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Upland – George M. Gibson Senior Center 250 N. 3rd Ave., Upland Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fontana – Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center 15556 Summit Ave., Fontana Dec. 8 from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. *Offering FREE flu shots! No appointment required*
To make an appointment for COVID-19 testing or to see all other County testing sites, please visit https://sbcovid19.com. For directions on how to register, call 909-387-3911.
NATIONAL—- Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Holliday will join the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) as the featured performer for its 2020 Virtual Awards, streaming December 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Celebrity DJ Andre Mack will also join NABJ as the host of the awards show live afterparty.
Holliday is best known for her role in the smash Broadway musical, “Dreamgirls,” with her show-stopping performance as Effie “Melody” White. This iconic role garnered her a Tony Award for best actress in a musical.
With over 30 years of experience on Broadway, Holliday got her start at age 17 while singing in her church choir in Houston, Texas. Holliday’s passion didn’t stop on the Broadway stage. She has appeared on television as Lisa Knowles on the Fox TV dramedy, “Ally McBeal.” She has also enjoyed a successful recording career, winning Grammy® Awards for her mesmerizing performances of “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going” (1982) and Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday” (1985). Holliday has also received rave reviews for her first album in two decades – “The Song Is You” (2014).
Back by popular demand, DJ Andre Mack is no stranger to NABJ. After performing at the 2020 Convention Opening Ceremony and Reception, co-produced and presented by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, members and attendees raved about Mack’s skills on the turntables. He is frequently called upon to spin classic and soulful House, Old School R&B, Hip Hop, and Reggae music.
NABJ’s first-ever virtual awards will recognize the winners of its 2020 Salute to Excellence Awards and pay tribute to 2020 Special Honors recipients and Hall of Fame inductees. The hosts for the evening will be Lynn Whitfield, Emmy Award-winning actress; Craig Melvin, anchor of NBC News’ “TODAY”; Tichina Arnold, NAACP Image Award-winning actress; Michelle Miller, co-host of “CBS This Morning: Saturday”; and Kenneth Moton, co-anchor of “ABC World News Now” and “America This Morning.”
The awards ceremony, presented by FedEx, will kick off at 8 p.m. ET. It will be preceded by a pre-event reception at 7:30 p.m. ET. The post-event afterparty will be held from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Tickets provide access to all three activities.
“In such a critical time in America and in journalism, it is important that we take time to celebrate and applaud our members and industry colleagues,” said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. “We are honored to have iconic artists and actresses like Jennifer Holliday, Lynn Whitfield and Tichina Arnold celebrating with us. We are also grateful to have our award-winning hosts and journalists Craig Melvin, Michelle Miller and Kenneth Moton. And, of course, we can’t wait to unwind with the talented DJ Andre Mack. Congratulations to our 2020 honorees and finalists. We are proud of all you’ve accomplished.”
The 2020 NABJ Hall of Fame inductees are:
Fred Sweets
Pam Johnson
Pam Oliver
Mary Mitchell
John McCaa
Cathy Hughes
Clarice Tinsley
The 2020 NABJ Special Honors recipients are:
Journalist of the Year: Yamiche Alcindor
Michael J. Feeney Emerging Journalist of the Year: Rachel V. Scott
Legacy Award: Rehema Ellis
Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award: Kevin Merida
Journalist of Distinction: Elaine Houston
Ida B. Wells Award: Kimberly Godwin
Journalism Educators of the Year: Susan Mango Curtis and James McJunkins Sr.
Angelo B. Henderson Community Service Award: Chelle Luper Wilson
Patricia L. Tobin Media Professional Award: Ramona Logan
Student Chapter of the Year Finalists: University of North Texas-NABJ, Michigan State University Association of Black Journalists and University of South Carolina – NABJ
Professional Chapter of the Year Finalists: Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists, Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists – Los Angeles, and NABJ-South Florida
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY— The county has extended their deadline to December 13th and increased its grant amount to $5,000 for its COVID-Compliant Partnership Program. This is a grant and businesses must agree to follow COVID-Compliant business procedures.
To support local small businesses and help ensure ongoing compliance with State and County Health orders and direction, San Bernardino County is implementing the COVID Compliant Business Partnership Program.
This program has two components.
Original Funding of $2,500 has now increased to $5,000 for eligible Small Businesses and Nonprofits with 1-100 employees (some exceptions made for businesses with 0 employees)
Previous funding recipients that applied before October 31, 2020 will receive a check for the additional funding (Except Short Term Rentals and Private Schools).
Support and Partnership for ALL eligible County businesses who wish to become a COVID Compliant Business Partner.
This program will support our local small businesses by reimbursing and/or offsetting costs and impacts directly related to complying with COVID-19 related business protocols and providing support to all eligible County businesses who apply for the program. Additional business locations in the County under the same ownership will be eligible to receive an additional $2,000 per eligible location.
Prior to receiving funding, San Bernardino County small businesses must demonstrate compliance with State/County public health orders, and incorporate safety and social distancing practices and measures in their business operations. Again, the business must agree to follow COVID-Compliant business procedures
Total funding available for this program is $30,000,000. Eligible businesses, per qualifying location, can receive up to $5,000. Deadline for Application Extended to December 13, 2020 or until funding is exhausted, on a first-come, first served basis. Visit: SBCovid19.com
Each year hundreds of Black women travel across the United States to compete in ladies steer wrestling, breakaway roping, bull riding, barrel racing, and other rodeo competitions — many while holding down full-time jobs.
The rise of Black women in the rodeo circuit is largely due to the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR), the nation’s only African American touring rodeo, which was founded by Lu Vason in Denver, Colorado, in 1984.
Named in honor of Willie M. ‘Bill’ Pickett, BPIR was an African American cowboy, actor, and ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee. He invented the bulldogging technique — a rodeo event where a rider wrestles a steer to the ground by grabbing its horns.
Today, BPIR has a woman at the helm and is run by a majority female leadership team.
Since taking the reins in 2015, Vason’s wife Valeria Howard-Cunningham has used her position as CEO to promote women to leadership roles, effectively creating the first successful touring rodeo led by a Black woman.
Although 2020 has been a challenging rodeo year with COVID-19 forcing the cancelation of the competition season, Cunningham is confident that she and her team will continue to drive the movement forward.
Caroline Carter and Justini Carter (Courtesy Caroline Carter)
“Being CEO was an opportunity where I could get women involved to show that women can run a rodeo operation just as effective or more effective as men,” Cunningham said. “That was important to me. A woman has to do 10 times more than a counterpart to show they are capable of doing certain things.”
Women have been involved in the rodeo world at various levels for decades. However, they have been mostly underrepresented, said Krishaun Adair of Point Blank, Texas, who has been competing in rodeo since she was five years old.
“I did not realize we were like unicorns. I didn’t realize there was a lack of or underrepresentation of Black cowgirls. I grew up looking at Black cowgirls, that’s who I wanted to be. They were my role models. Then I realized how small of a group and how precious we are. People had never seen it before, never heard of it before. Their image of a cowboy or a cowgirl looks nothing like me.”
When Adair and her friend Azja Bryanttravel to competitions with horses in tow, people stop and stare, she told Zenger.
“We would stop at different gas stations, and you know, people would either look at you a little funny or [for] some people it was total fascination like they just couldn’t believe,” said Bryant. “I like to be able to perform to the best of my ability, to go out and be a positive role model to others, so I can show other people, ‘Hey there are Black cowgirls out here.’”
Adair said she admires BPIR because it creates a platform for Black cowboys and cowgirls.
“Bill Pickett [represents cowgirls and cowboys] on a level so that we don’t seem inferior or not as good,” said Adair. “I want to be seen; I don’t want to be isolated. We rodeo, we just so happen to be Black.”
Vason created BPIR as a place for African Americans to hone their rodeo skills, showcase their talents, and educate the community about Pickett.
The idea came after he attended Cheyenne Frontier Days, an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cunningham told Zenger that he did not see Black cowboys or cowgirls in the rodeo despite knowing there were thousands in the United States.
Now, BPIR has surpassed the model of being just a rodeo — it’s a community that brings people together from across the country.
“Bill Pickett is all African American,” Cunningham said. “It gives African Americans the opportunity to display skills and develop skills and not be treated unfairly. People invited to participate in the rodeo know it’s a safe zone.”
Rodeo in the United States is not just fun; it is big business. According to ranch services company Western Ranches, more than 600 rodeos nationwide are sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 2015 rodeo prize money surpassed $46 million. Contestants have the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money in just a few days.
“Seeing kids from different communities that have never seen a Black cowboy and never seen a Black cowgirl, that’s worth more than money could ever buy,” said Cunningham.
But sponsors and prize money do not come easily for Black rodeos.
“Because we are an African American rodeo association, the biggest challenge has been and continues to be obtaining the level of sponsorship of other rodeos,” said Cunningham.
“Companies don’t want to invest. With the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), millions can be put up for added money at their finals. We sell out all of our venues across the U.S., and we don’t get the same level of sponsorship participation. It’s the biggest struggle we have, but we don’t let that hold us back.”
African American cowboys accounted for up to 25% of workers in the cattle industry in American West, although their images were primarily excluded from popular culture. And while Black cowboys and cowgirls are common in places like Texas and Oklahoma, Cunningham said it is shocking how little is known about them in other parts of the country.
With COVID-19 causing the slowdown of rodeo competition across the country, BPIR is focusing not only on gaining sponsors but on its mission of education and getting more young people involved in the sport.
Cunningham said the Bill Pickett circuit rodeo tour introduces Black cowboys and cowgirls to children across the country and provides education about African American participation in the development of the western United States.
“Seeing kids from different communities that have never seen a Black cowboy and never seen a Black cowgirl, that’s worth more than money could ever buy,” said Cunningham. “History books don’t teach certain things. What Bill Pickett rodeo has done is to bring history alive to educate them.”
Cunningham told Zenger that parents attending and learning about BPIR for the first time often want to know where their children can learn to ride a horse and learn more about cowboys and cowgirls, which passes on the interest to a new generation.
Oklahoma native and steer undecorating champion, Carolyn Carter, began competing in 1982. Now, she has four generations of family involvement in rodeo, including a grandson and great-grandson, who are both two years old.
According to Carter, new generations of Black cowboys and cowgirls have advantages her generation did not have, such as access to parents and grandparents who know how to train horses and gained exposure to Black rodeo competitions at an early age.
“They are learning at an earlier age how to do what we’ve been doing all of these years,” said Carter. “It’s a lifestyle.”
“I will not put up with sin forever. I am going to open Hell to you, and show you what it is like, maybe that will help you get some get right. You see, I am about to destroy the city, and I’m telling you, if you don’t change your ways, you will perish under the wrath which is SOON TO COME. So, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell…And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.” [Matthew 5:20-30; Mark 9:43-48]. “I warn you, as I warned you before!”
Having heard all your life about the grace and mercy of God, you have taken His grace for granted. Woe unto you! Exhibiting the spirit of Esau, in which unfortunately you may well discover his end too. You see, Esau’s life is the story of a man who traded his soul for fleeting pleasure. He sold his birthright, which included not only material benefits and family privileges, but spiritual blessings as well, for a bowl of soup. It says that “he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way” 25:34]. He didn’t have a second thought about what he had done. He did it, it felt good, and only much later did he come to regret it. Esau wanted to repent of his actions, but it was too late. “He found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”[Hebrews 12:17]. Esau sought to reverse the catastrophic outcome of his mistake/decision, but was rejected because he had no further opportunity to repent. The damage was done and there was no turning back.
May each of us learn from Esau, and not wait until it is too late to consider the cost of our decisions and actions. God is good to allow time for us to repent of our sins by delaying His judgment. But don’t think that we have all the time in the world, to repent. Because according to Genesis 6:3-5, it reminds us that the “Lord spirit shall not strive-with man always.” A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” [Proverbs 22:3]. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. [Isaiah 55:6]. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. [Romans 11:22].
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?… Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. [Ezekiel 18:21, 30]. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” [Isaiah 1:18].
“The great day of the Lord is near – near and coming quickly. See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish… In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.” [Isaiah 66:15-16; Zephaniah 1:14-18]. “The great day of the Lord is near ? near and coming quickly.
May the God of heaven give you understanding in all things which concern his glory, and your eternal good.
On May 13, 2020, Carlos Buford, Chief Financial Officer of Clearwater Residential, Inc. in Moreno Valley announced that the organization received a grant from Stater Bros. Charities. With two (2) homes located in Moreno Valley and San Bernardino, Clearwater is dedicated to residential shelter services for homeless men and women, focusing on the senior community and veterans.
Mr. Buford thanks Stater Bros. Charities for their gift as it has positively impacted the Homeless Meals Project; therefore, uplifting the homeless population and making lives better in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
For more information including how to donate or volunteer, please reach out to Carlos Buford at (951) 443- 6849 or visit www.clearwaterresidential.org.
We were deeply saddened by the recent news of Walter S. Hawkins. For those that had the opportunity to know him, we are sure countless memories rushed through your mind as you learned about his passing on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. As we reflected, one shared, “We lost a conscience of our community, this past week.”
He made a lasting impact on our program statewide and wanted to share some background on him. Walter S. Hawkins, 72, was a resident of Rialto, CA for more than 40 years, and was a loving and devoted husband, father, mentor, colleague, and friend to many. He was born in San Angelo, Texas, the only son of Maiso and Altamae Hawkins. His father was a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, so he lived in Japan and Germany for a period of his young life. Eventually, his family relocated to San Diego, CA, where Walter received a football and track scholarship to San Diego State University.
From the beginning, Walter was a champion for those who had none. He began as an intern at the Neighborhood House Association, one of the largest Non-Profit Social Service Agencies in San Diego, while he was pursuing his graduate degree. During this time, he solidified his belief that a better tomorrow for all is possible through empowerment, education, and wellness.
Once he earned his Graduate degree, Walter began his professional career as a Social Worker. He worked for Tayari, a California based adoption agency, and a division within the San Diego County Department of Public Welfare. During his time there, he worked tirelessly on finding permanent families for African American children. He later served as a leader in the field of social work as a member of the Black Social Workers Association.
Walter devoted over thirty years of his life to California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). He joined the CSUSB family in 1974 as one of the first Upward Bound Director’s. Shortly after, he became the Director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). During his tenure with EOP, he developed, implemented, and enhanced many comprehensive student support services that later the university began to adopt and expand across the campus in the late 1980’s. Some of these services included but were not limited to the first early warning/intervention system at the university, tutoring support for students, peer mentoring programs, proactive academic advising procedures, among others. He was also one of the first Black Student Union staff advisors to the BSU student group organization. In addition, he served in two temporary assignments: as Acting Dean of Educational Support Services and as a programmer and unit lead for what was once the CSUSB Computer Center, to assist with software development to prepare university entities for a transfer to a new campus-wide data system. He went on to serve as the Director of Research & Policy for the Department of Undergraduate Studies until his retirement in 2007.
When relocating to the Inland Empire to join CSUSB, Walter continued to serve his local community and youth. He provided an immense amount of his time volunteering and offering his research skillset and policy recommendations to numerous organizations, which included but not limited too; First 5 San Bernardino Strategic Planning committee, the American Red Cross, Option House, the NAACP, the San Bernardino City Unified School District African American Student Achievement Task Force, as a founding Board Member of Black Future Leaders, founding member of Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, Board of Directors for Boys and Girls Club, as a Kappa Alpha Psi Member, Vice President, and Executive Board member of the Westside Action Group (WAG) and as a Board Member for the Rialto Unified School District for many years.
Even after he retired from CSUSB, he worked on several African American initiatives in our local region. He continued his servanthood through his consulting firm, NewHAWK, where he focused on demographic research and geographic information to advocate for several campaigns. Most recently, he was commissioned by California Black Media to conduct the research for the “The Counting Black California,” report for the 2020 Census. The data was used and overlaid with the state COVID data that helped the African American Community Empowerment Council secure 2.5 million dollars for testing African American’s statewide. He received numerous awards and recognitions throughout the years for his work, including a Pioneer Award at the inaugural CSUSB Pioneer Breakfast.
Walter was a straight-talking man, he used research, data and logic to address and support his efforts. He earned the respect of everyone who encountered him as a gentle giant, who through hard work and good humor, gave of himself and focused on ensuring the success of others. He helped guide many, and often was the foundation of integrity and high expectations for those who served youth. He certainly did become known as a “conscience of our community”.
Walter’s life work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to extend a ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of many who are disadvantaged or underserved. He worked hard to ensure the social mobility of those without and of their families for generations to come.
Not only did his family thrive because of Walter’s commitment and hard work – he did because of theirs, and especially because of the love and the life he led with Dr. Jean Peacock. They found each other at CSUSB. He deeply loved this remarkable woman, and she didn’t just love him back; she gave him strength, joy, and friendship; and stood by him always in all his endeavors.
We cannot know for certain how long we each have here, however, what we can do, is to live out our lives as best we can and help as many as possible along the way, and that’s exactly what Walter did. He used each day and much of his time to make a difference and strived to make a better, stronger Inland Empire for generations to come.
Walter touched the lives of many. Students and community members benefitted from his advocacy, counsel, and friendship. Anyone who knew Walter will miss his humor and his innate ability to refocus a group to take care of business.
He leaves his beloved wife Jean, his sons Paul and Christian and daughter Regina. He was blessed with both adopted and biological grandchildren and several nieces and nephews among his extended Hawkins/Peacock and Newman family, his daughter-in-law Torria and sister-in-law Mary who all love him dearly. A private family service will be held to celebrate Walter.
If individuals would like to make a memorial gift in Walter’s honor, so for years to come, more youth can continue to pursue their dreams, please give to The Walter S. Hawkins and Dr. M. Jean Peacock Endowed Scholarship. You can either contribute online or submit a check payable to CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation. Please be sure to reference on Check Memo: #P400261 Hawkins/Peacock Endowed Scholarship.
Facebook is making investments in different efforts to address the gathering storm of social and economic problems facing America, particularly the ones hitting African Americans with unequal force. Through two community-focused initiatives, the Menlo Park-based tech company is shoring up three Black-Women-owned California-based businesses with mentoring and promotional opportunities.
Increased misinformation; the diminishing of truth and objectivity in news programming; the COVID-19 crisis’s impact on small businesses; ongoing racial biases; the loss of newspaper ad revenue due to competition from the internet; and more.
Many of those challenges if left unchecked, experts on both the political Left and Right agree, can chip away at the foundations of our democracy. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the country’s Gross Domestic Product dropped by 32.9 %by the second quarter of last year.
“COVID-19 is impacting all businesses. But Black businesses are closing at a faster rate than all other businesses,” said Erica Woods, State Public Policy Manager at Facebook. She was telling California Black Media about the company’s new #BuyBlackFriday campaign.
According to Woods, #BuyBlackFriday is Facebook’s “holiday program that redirects the energy of Black Friday to encourage consumers to support Black owned businesses throughout the holiday season.”
Woods says the campaign features 60 Black-owned businesses from around the United States. Two of them are based in California — both owned by Black women in the Los Angeles Area: Amethyst Soul Home, which makes scented candles and Gracemade, a clothing and accessory company.
“I am elated for the opportunity for more people to experience SouLuxe Amber Noir scented coconut wax candles and fill their homes with a sultry fusion of Warm Amber, Sandalwood, Jasmine and Mandarin,” said Jillene Williams, owner ofAmethyst Soul Home.
It’s an honor to be a part of the gift guide, as well as the Facebook Elevate program alongside many other great black-owned companies,” Williams continued. “Being featured in the Facebook #BuyBlack Friday Holiday Gift Guide has certainly introduced my scented coconut wax candles to a vast audience I would never be able to reach otherwise.”
Facebook is inviting all Black businesses across the country to use the hashtag #BuyBlackFriday to support their businesses, beginning now and particularly the day after Thanksgiving when the holiday shopping season unofficially kicks off.
Gracemade and Amethyst Soul Home will both be featured on a show as well on the digital platform’s Black Voices page.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our products,” Woods said. “So many businesses have used our platforms to connect with their audiences. We found that the pandemic was closing doors, that impacts us as well. So, we want to support businesses and make sure that they flourish and grow.”
Earlier this month, the biggest social media platform in the world, also announced that it has invited the African American-owned Black Voice News in Riverside as well as 19 other local news publishers from around the United States to participate in the Facebook Journalism Project Sustainability Accelerator Program.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity. It is forward-thinking. It is necessary. This program provides the support and mentorship that Black Voice News can use at this very critical time to be strong and sustainable,” said Paulette Brown-Hinds, Publisher of the Black Voice News and CEO of Voice Media Ventures. Based in Riverside, Black Voice News, is a nearly fifty-year-old publication founded by Brown-Hinds’s parents: the organization’s publisher emeritus Hardy Brown and his wife, former California Assemblymember Cheryl Brown.
“Facebook’s intensive five-month Accelerator program is going to enhance our capabilities as an organization and team by providing opportunities to learn from industry best practices, benefit from the experiences of other members of our cohort in the program and grow from unique feedback customized for our organization and provided by a coach dedicated to the Black Voice News group,” Stephanie Williams, Editor, Black Voice News.
According to Facebook, the training program will provide “intensive training” to local media outlets. Through the program, industry experts will also coach newspaper publishers on improving their news coverage, growing their audiences and enhancing their technology. Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it was investing $5 million in local news organizations that serve audiences in marginalized communities. The company has also awarded $10.3 million to 144 local newsrooms around the country as part of its COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program.
The Facebook Journalism project is supported by Facebook but run through the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), an advocacy and support organization that works around the world to grow news media outlets.
“We are honored to partner with this impressive group of publishers, whose newsrooms make a difference in their communities,” said Joyce Barnathan, ICFJ’s president.
About half the media outlets Facebook has invited to participate in the program are Black-owned or Black-led publishers, and about the same percentage are non-profit organizations. They include established local African American newspapers that have over the years become institutions in the communities they serve, as well as digital publications that have launched more recently.
Facebook, which also owns the social media platform Instagram, averages more than 2.7 billion active users a month. In 2019, the company’s revenue was estimated around $70 billion.
Jasmine Rennie, who owns Gracemadesays she’s excited that more women – not only in California, but around the world – are being introduced to her “faith-driven” brand that designs modest but fashion-forward apparel, including a bestselling jumpsuit.
“A lot of women want clothes that don’t reveal too much but are still trendy, stylish and beautiful. This program will help us reach so many of them and provide the clothing that fits their lifestyles,” Rennie said.
As COVID-19 case numbers climb, California has imposed tighter restrictions and ordered a ordered a statewide mask mandate, while advising residents to stay home. Out of the 58 California counties, 41 are now at the state’s most restrictive, or purple, tier, including Alameda, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties.
On Friday, the governor announced a curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in 41 counties. It will affect more than 90 % of Californians, but he stopped short of reissuing a statewide shelter-in-place order.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges.”
Earlier in the week, Gov. Newsom announced a stricter mandate that requires mask wearing “statewide at all times when outside of the home” by everyone over age two. The new restrictions are in response to the recent COVID-19 case surge, the “fastest increase we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic,” according to Newsom.
Nationwide, COVID-19 cases hit 12 million on Nov. 21, an increase of nearly 1 million over the previous week. More than 250,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 so far.
“Every age group, every racial demographic, in every part of the state we are seeing case rates increase and positivity rates increase as well. It is no longer concentrated in just a handful of counties. We are seeing community spread broadly throughout the state of California,” Newsom said during a news briefing Monday.
Public health and government officials have recently shifted their messaging to warning the public about the spread of COVID-19 in the winter months, as families consider whether to gather for the holidays. On Nov. 13, Newsom issued a travel advisory warning to California residents discouraging travel out of the state for any nonessential reason, including the Thanksgiving holiday, and recommending a 14-day quarantine for anyone who does travel.
Newsom also shared the number of current COVID-19 hospitalizations in California, which has climbed 48 % over the past two weeks to reach 3,800 as of Nov. 15. Of those, more than 1,000 people were in intensive care.
Black and Brown communities including East Oakland and East Los Angeles are still hotspots – and the case numbers are climbing.
Dr. Beverly Tambe is a primary doctor at Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles who recently appeared in a USA Facts Ad to talk about the realities of treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a conversation with California Black Media, Tambe spoke about the struggles of treating a virus whose full impact healthcare professionals have yet to determine.
Over the past nine months of treating COVID-19 patients, Tambe has seen a variety of situations with her patients. They range from those who recover in a couple of days, to those who were previously admitted to the hospital at the beginning of the pandemic and still come in for outpatient treatment for decreased lung or heart function. She emphasizes that the effects of COVID-19 vary from patient to patient.
“We have a standardized treatment regimen for patients that come into the hospital, depending on the severity. We’ve got a whole algorithm that we follow, but even with the algorithm and these treatments, some patients get better and some just don’t. We have patients that we’re doing everything for and they’re not getting better,” she said.
Tambe also shared her concerns about the upcoming winter and whether case numbers will continue to increase. She recommended against gathering in large groups. She also emphasized that people at least take the basic safety precautions, including wearing a mask and washing their hands regularly, to protect themselves and those around them.
“There’s a 14-day incubation period with the disease. So even though you feel fine, one day you could travel or meet in a large group, and still be carrying the disease. So, you carry the disease, spread it to everybody and eventually your symptoms might come up, but you’ve already gotten others sick. That’s why it’s so important to take care, to be cautious,” she warned.
ONTARIO, CA—- Living through a historic global pandemic and civil unrest, one school is seizing this critical time to foster global citizenship and teach its students to think outside school walls. Ignite is a first-of-its-kind partnership between Ontario Christian High School and the global Christian humanitarian organization World Vision. This innovative program will inspire students to take action and equip them to find solutions to the needs of today’s world.
Ontario students will also be committing to sponsor children in Kalapata, Kenya through World Vision, but in an empowering twist, the students will be Chosen by the children in Kalpata. The Ontario students had their photos taken and sent to the Kalpata community in Kenya where their photos were displayed for the Kenyan children to choose what Ontario student, they want to be their sponsor.
“One of Ontario Christian’s goals is to be a community that considers loving your neighbor as an essential part of faith, as a non-negotiable. I’m really excited about this experience for the students,” said Ontario Christian Principal Ben Dykhouse. “I’m excited that I get to experience this along with them, with the child that my family is sponsoring.”
On November 18, the Ignite program will hold a powerful event where the students will find out who chose them as their sponsor. They will receive a picture of the child holding their photo and a note letting them know about the child and what made the child choose them. This will be the emotional beginning of a transformational relationship that, accompanied with an experiential curriculum, will shape the students into global leaders with a biblical worldview.
Just this week, the students participated in the Social Innovation Challenge, which is a competition that empowers students to create real-world solutions to humanitarian issues. This year’s challenge invited students to come up with solutions to tackle youth drug abuse in Ethiopia. Competing against a team from a school in Las Vegas, the winning team gets a chance to see their solution implemented in a community in Ethiopia.
World Vision is one of the largest Christian humanitarian organizations in the world, working in nearly 100 countries. Through the organization’s efforts every 30 seconds, a family gets water, a hungry child is fed, and a family receives the tools to overcome poverty.
Ontario Christian High School will launch the World Vision Ignite partnership with nearly 100 9th grade students, who will build relationships with their sponsored child in Kenya through the remainder of their high school career at Ontario. They will also learn about the root causes of poverty and how to tackle critical world issues. By connecting with vulnerable kids in the developing world, students will gain empathy, learn to love their neighbors, and provide tangible help to meet the basic needs of others. The students will also lead out on local action, to help neighbors in need in the Los Angeles area.
About World Vision: World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.?For more information, please visit https://www.worldvision.org/about-us/media-center or follow us on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.
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