On Monday, the full California state Senate confirmed the appointments of two African Americans who have already stepped into top jobs at departments critical to the smooth operation of the state.  

Yolanda Richardson and Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin, are officially assuming their roles as state government executives in Sacramento at at time when the state is implementing deep cuts to its fiscal year 2020-21 budget in response to the global COVID-19 crisis.  

Despite the challenges, they both had already begun to execute the functions of their offices, pending this week’s final Senate approval.  

African American legislators and activists say the presence of Richardson and Omishakin in top-level state positions dovetails with the calls Americans across the country are making for more diversity in both the private and public sector — but there’s more work to do.  

In January 2019, when Gov. Newsom became governor of California he promised more inclusion of African Americans and other ethnic minorities.  

“I am deeply committed to building an administration that reflects California’s diversity, and it’s a goal I hope to advance at every level of state government,” he said.  

A little over 100 miles southwest of Sacramento in Santa Clara County, another African American, Rick Callender, assumed the top post of the region’s water utility last month.  

Meet Richardson, Omishakin and Callender:  

Yolanda Richardson, Secretary, California Government Operations Agency  

Yolanda Richardson, 49, is California’s Secretary of Government Operations Agency. She was appointed by Gov. Newsom on January 22.  

In her role, Richardson, a graduate of California State University Sacramento, oversees 10 state departments. Secretary Richardson oversees ten state departments vital to the smooth  administration of state business, including procurement, information technology, tax administration, human resources, among others.  

Immediately before joining Gov. Newsom’s administration, Richardson was president of Teloiv, a Sacramento-based consulting firm. Before that, she worked in leadership roles at both the California Health Exchange and at the San Francisco Health Care Plan.   

Richardson, a Democrat, lives in Rosedale and earns a salary of $217,292.  

Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin, Director, California Dept. of Transportation (CalTrans) 

Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin is the Director of the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans). Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him in October 2019.  

Omishakin, 44, is the 33^rd director of the agency.  

As director of CalTrans, he manages a $15 billion budget and nearly 21,000 employees and oversees 50,000 lane miles of highways. He is responsible for maintaining 13,000 bridges and providing permits for more than 400 public-use airports. CalTrans also funds three of Amtrak’s busiest intercity rail services and provide transit support to more than 200 local and regional transit agencies. 

Before accepting the CalTrans director role, Omishakin was the deputy commissioner of environment and planning at the Tennessee Deparment of Transportation.  

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Omishakin and his wife have two children. He is completing a Ph.D. in engineering management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.?He has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University; and a bachelor of arts in engineering technology from Mississippi Valley State University. 

Omishakin, registered without a party preference, earns a salary of $200,000.  

Rick Callender, CEO, Santa Clara Valley Water District  

Rick Callender, 49, an attorney and longtime water executive, was elected CEO of the Santa Clara Water District (SCWD) by the organization’s board of directors last month.  

The organization serves as the water wholesaler for Santa Clara County and is responsible for providing water to — and flood protection in — the Santa Clara Valley.  

In the role, Callender will oversee an annual budget of more than $600 million. During his tenure, SCWD is also expected to take on several major capital projects, including a major reservoir expansion and a dam renovation.  

For more than two decades, Callender has worked in executive roles at Water Valley. He has also actively participated in local politics, organizing and advocacy, including serving as second Vice President of the California-Hawaii Conference of the NAACP. 

Callender was born in Las Vegas and grew up in San Jose, where he graduated from Santa Teresa High School.? He earned his bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering and technology from California State University, Chico, and his law degree from Northwestern California School of Law.  

A Democrat, Callender earns a salary of $326, 352 a year.  

Deadline to Apply for Forgivable Paycheck Protection Program Loans Fast Approaching

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest that has been taking place in some cities, the impact has been felt in every sector of our economy. There has never been a more challenging time for America’s small business. That’s especially true for minority-owned businesses who face unique challenges even in the best of times.

As the U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Administrator to the Pacific Rim area, I understand that supporting the Black community includes investing in Black-owned businesses and supporting Black entrepreneurs across every town in America.

We hear from Black-owned businesses of the socioeconomic and capital funding challenges with starting and expanding a business.  Our goal is to work with Black entrepreneurs to overcome these entrepreneurship challenges.

The Paycheck Protection Program was created to assist businesses economically impacted by the pandemic.  This forgivable loan program has provided over 4.6 million small business loans totaling more than $500 billion to ensure that tens of millions of hardworking Americans stay connected to their jobs.  This program is dedicated to providing emergency capital to sustain our nation’s small businesses and retain their employees.  The deadline to apply for this program is just days away.  Small businesses that have not yet applied have until June 30^th to do so. More than $100 billion is still available.

Of the PPP funding, SBA partnered  specifically with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) to ensure that funding reaches all communities in need of relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.  CDFIs and MDIs work to expand economic opportunity in low-income communities by providing access to financial products and services for local residents and businesses.  Together, these lenders have originated more than $17 billion in dedicated fundsto small businesses in low-income communities.

Other ongoing programs that SBA has available include Women’s Business Centers to assist women in starting and growing small businesses.  Across the U.S., Black women start their own business at record rates. These centers provide a full range of services for women entrepreneurs at all stages of planning, implementation and growth.

For those interesting in contracting with the federal government, Women-owned business certification helps provide a level playing field for women business owners, as the government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses certified as women-owned.  Another valuable resource is the Mentor-Protégé Program, designed for small businesses to learn from an experienced government contractor

Other mentoring programs include SCORE, a network of thousands of volunteer business counselors around the country who mentor and educate small business owners. It’s a

free mentoring and education program for business owners to learn from others who have been through the entrepreneurship journey.  This program also seeks mentors from the Black community to better assist Black entrepreneurship as they better understand the obstacles of Black entrepreneurs.

For businesses seeking to expand to international markets, Export Assistance Centers help small businesses by providing information on how to export, participate in foreign trade missions and trade shows, translate websites, and design marketing campaigns.

These and many other SBA resources are available online at SBA.gov, including information about upcoming webinars to assist entrepreneurs in overcoming common business obstacles and today’s unprecedented challenges.

As the Regional Administrator for the Pacific Rim for SBA, and as Associate Administrator for the Office of Field Operations for our agency, SBA is ready to assist, whether in-person, on the phone, or virtually through a webinar, we are here for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

At the SBA, our role is to support entrepreneurs in achieving their dream of owning a business, scaling-up their business, and recover from today’s unprecedented challenges.

The president and governors of both political parties with the support of local municipalities and businesses pushed to reopen the country even as medical experts warned against moving too far, too fast.

It appeared they weighed dollars and cents against the value of Black lives, those of the elderly and others. Apparently, it was a gamble they were willing to take to help save the economy.

Today, as the number of COVID-19 cases exceeds 2.2 million nationally and the country’s death toll rapidly approaches 120,000, California is among the growing number of states contributing to these rising numbers.

San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are not idle bystanders in this deadly march as indicated by the rising hospitalizations experienced in both counties last week.

As warranted, the number of people being tested for COVID-19 in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are increasing and most understand the correlation between the increased number of people being tested and the increasing number of positive cases. However, embedded in the rising numbers of positive cases lies the potential for increased hospitalizations.

The increasing number of hospitalizations is not a benign measure as in too many instances, it serves as a harbinger of grief—especially for Blacks and the elderly.   

On Thursday, June 18, 2020 Riverside experienced the highest number of hospitalizations in a single day with 291 COVID-19 patients countywide; and San Bernardino saw its highest number in recent weeks with 313 hospitalizations. Though the numbers are still below peaks recorded earlier this year—the trend is ominous.

Regardless of how one may argue the need for prioritizing the economy—the value of human life is immeasurable.

By Friday, June 19, 2020, San Bernardino County reported 8,959 confirmed cases and 233 deaths. Riverside County, (ahead in COVID-19 testing) reported 12,778 cases and 410 deaths.

As a result of Riverside Counties rising numbers, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has added the county to its Data Monitor Watch List which calls for targeted engagement between the county and the state as a result of its rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths.

At this point it is important to remind the community how Riverside County applied for and received a variance to move more quickly through Stage 2 of the state’s reopening process even though it did not meet all the requirements to do so.

Now, barely a month later as noted by the CDPH, “Riverside County is experiencing elevated disease transmission based on the following: general increases in local gatherings; outbreaks at state prisons and skilled nursing facilities; potential transmission at public protests; in-county patient transfers from Imperial County; patients seeking care from Northern Baja California and traveling along SR-86 corridor into Coachella Valley.”

CDPH has recommended the county take several steps to help slow the spread of the virus and reduce the potential for increased hospitalizations and deaths.

The steps include closely monitoring the data, the need for increased testing at both county and state test sites, the implementation of a Quick Response Team for high-risk skilled nursing facilities; and expanding its contact tracing workforce.

The state has further recommended the county increase its messaging about the importance of personal protection measures. And finally, it called for increased coordination and communication between the local health department, CDPH, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to curb and contain outbreaks at state prisons.

On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a new order requiring all Californians to wear a mask in public. This came just a day after the state reached a record high on Wednesday, in the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded since the state reopened for business.

That day California reported 4,165 new cases—the highest daily number recorded since the onset of the pandemic. 

On Wednesday, June 24, the full California Senate voted 30-10 to pass Assembly Constitutional Amendment? 5 (ACA 5), an initiative to overturn Proposition 209 and reinstate Affirmative Action in the state after 24 years.  

The constitutional amendment will now appear on the general election ballot in November for voters to decide whether to approve it or not.  

Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), chair of the Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), and Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson), co-introduced the bill. It is among the legislations deemed a priority for the CLBC in 2020.  

If voters approve the amendment in November, California will join 42 states that allow equal opportunity programs that support women and minorities. 

“What your vote means today, in supporting ACA5, is that?it would allow not just the 115,000 who signed a petition in opposition to it,” said Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus on the Senate floor before the vote. “It will allow the 40 million residents to have the opportunity to weigh in. So colleagues, we must be affirmative in the action we take to bend the arc towards justice.” 

ACA 5 moved through both houses of the state legislature without much friction. On June 10, the full California Assembly voted 60-14 in favor of the bill before it moved to the Senate.  

?In 1996, voters passed Prop. 209 Also called the “California Civil Rights Initiative,” it banned discrimination or preferential treatment based on race or gender in public education, employment, and contracting.  

Pete Wilson was the governor of California when the constitutional amendment was enacted. Since becoming law, Prop. 209 has been a constant point of contention between opponents and supporters. People who oppose it point to data that shows how African Americans and other minorities have been negatively impacted by it in different arenas, including public sector employment, state government procurement and public university enrollment.   

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. On this historic day I am incredibly grateful to all my colleagues,” Weber tweeted after the Senate yay vote. “We have a long way to go to achieve equality, but we are one step closer today,” 

Although ACA 5 has increasingly gained widespread support across political, cultural and socio-economic divides in California, some of its staunchest critics remain vocally opposed.  The Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) and the Silicon Valley Chinese Association Foundation (SVCAF) are two groups that have organized to apply pressure on legislators to vote no.  

The California Federation of College Republicans (CFCR) submitted an opposition letter, signed by 26 registered student organizations, to the California State Senate ahead of this week’s floor vote. 

The letter notes how approval of ACA 5 would negatively affect Asian-American students. 

“ACA 5 will not only legalize racial discrimination but further divide our state along racial lines,” said CFCR spokesperson Kenneth Schrupp. “As a student of mixed race, I find the practice of racial discrimination and categorization highly objectionable and even exclusionary.” 

Another student organization, the Cal State Students Association, which has a membership of nearly half a million students enrolled in the state’s three systems of higher learning, wrote a letter in support of ACA 5.  

“Since the passage of Prop 209, admissions rates for Asian American students in California’s most competitive schools have continued to decline, as has been the case for Native Americans, Black and Latinx students,” it read.  

“The California state Senate has the power to take a strong stance against racism and allow Californians the opportunity to vote to restore affirmative action and create a more fair, just and equitable California,” the letter stated.

Kabelo Maaka and Dr Tshepo Maaka’s documentary short 3 Teaspoons of Sugar focuses on three individuals who share their experiences living with diabetes. This educational animation had its independent World Premiere on World Diabetes Day on November 14th 2019 and will be screening online as part of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June.

In a household where mealtime is a delightful feast full of bonding, fellowship & good eating, 3 members of this tight knit family are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus.

Director Kabelo ‘Cabblow’ Maaka is an animator, illustrator, animation lecturer and founder and creative director of Cabblow Studios, which is a Johannesburg based animation studio. Unsatisfied with the quality of Animation education in South Africa, Kabelo started using YouTube to create art and animation tutorials. Together with her passion for animation and her skillset including digital character animation, character design, storyboarding, and scriptwriting, she is determined on making sure that her work become game changers by cultivating a unique voice that contributes meaningfully to the animation conversation in South African and internationally. Kabelo was a speaker at the Cape Town International Animation Festival in 2019.

Co Director Dr Tshepo P. Maaka has been a medical practitioner registered with the Health Professions Council since 1994, practicing mainly anaesthesiology. Until early 2018, Dr Maaka has been running an obstetrical anaesthetic practice at both the Sunninghill and Waterfall Hospitals in Gauteng. She partnered with her daughter Kabelo in forming Cabblow Studios to produce Medical Animation. Together, they are combining their skills in medicine and animation to carve out a unique niche in the South African animation market. They hope to produce content to educate on health in order to promote compliance & healthy living, and to produce better health outcomes.

3 Teaspoons of Sugar also screened at Africa Rising International Film Festival in 2019 and Lagos International Festival of Animation 2020 where they both made it to the semifinals.

YUCAIPA, CA—- This spring, eight students completed the Radiologic Technology (Rad Tech) program at Crafton Hills College. The 22 ½-month program, offered in partnership with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, prepares students to perform diagnostic imaging examinations. Each student received his or her associate degree in Radiologic Technology or Radiologic Technology certificate and is eligible to take state and national board examinations to qualify for entry-level employment in radiography.

The graduates are Jason Brown, Fabian Cano, Lewis Middleton, Jerry Padgett Jr., Desiree Perez, Julianne Richter, John Shields and Alexis Ward. These individuals endured a difficult final semester with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“All of the graduates worked hard and persevered through all of life’s unexpected surprises in 2020,” said program director Melissa Huynh. “I’m so proud of them!”

In addition to the awarding of degrees and certificates, the program faculty also presented awards and scholarships at the informal “socially distant” gathering on June 9.

Jerry Padgett, Jr. received the Clinical Achievement Award for his superior clinical performance and commendable attendance record. Padgett plans to continue his education in computed tomography (CT).

Alexis Ward was recognized for her academic excellence in the didactic portion of the program with the Academic Achievement Award. Ward is continuing her education and pursuing a license in mammography.

Another award, the Cristi Hall Award of Excellence in Radiography, in memory of Cristi Hall RT(R), who exemplified the value of being a caregiver and team player, went to Desiree Perez, selected for demonstrating these values. This year, the award was accompanied with an inaugural $500 scholarship in memory of Michael Scott.

Scott, an alumnus of the CHC Rad Tech program was the recipient of the Cristi Hall Award in 2012. He went on to become an instructor in the program until he passed away in 2019. Scott’s family endowed a scholarship in his name this year that will accompany the award given to a deserving grad in perpetuity.

“I was blessed to have known Mike personally,” Perez declared. “The scholarship will go towards covering my State exam fees as well as my fluoroscopy license exam fees. As I continue my journey to become a rad tech, I hope I can exemplify all the qualities that Mike had. He was kind, compassionate, and eager to help the students.” Perez will be continuing her education in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Each of the students were commended by Huynh for being flexible through this unprecedented time and finishing the program strong. In lieu of a formal ceremony, a graduation recognition video, which includes messages from faculty and staff along with individual photos of each graduate is available at  craftonhills.edu under “Latest News.”

For more information about the Rad Tech program, contact Melissa Huynh at mhuynh@sbccd.cc.ca.us or visit www.craftonhills.edu/academic-and-career-programs/divs-and-depts/career-ed-and-human-dev/allied-health-services/radiologic-technology/

Those who’ve begun returning to the office report many companies have stepped up cleaning protocols, but some aren’t bothering to screen employees for Covid-19 symptoms.    

That’s according to a recent Gallup poll of almost 2,000 employed respondents. Results indicate precautions employers are taking to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace vary significantly.   The findings come as cases of the novel coronavirus rise in many parts of the U.S., with all states in some phase of reopening following spring lockdowns. 

As Gallup has tracked worker attitudes and behavior related to Covid-19, it’s recorded a seven-percentage-point increase between mid-April and late May in workers saying at least some employees at their workplace have returned to the office.   

In May, one-third of respondents said all or almost all of their colleagues were back at the office. About 70% of workers said their employers are on top of new or more frequent cleaning protocols in the workplace, 58% said their employers consistently provide personal protective equipment and 54% said a six-foot distance between employees or employees and customers is routinely enforced, per Gallup.   

But just 41% said their employers consistently screen workers for cough or fever, and 39 percent said their employers never conduct symptom checks. Of the precautions mentioned, 20% to 33% said they sometimes happen in the office.  

By Lou Yeboah

Why do they hate us so much?  Why do white people despise blacks? Why is it that they find it easy to look at us with disgust and undermine our humanity? In pondering and crying out to God for answers, this is what I heard in my spirit: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. This happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.” As sure as day follows night, a world at war with God will hate, persecute, ostracize and even kill God’s people. “They will hate you because they hated Me, and the servant is not greater than the master; and because you no longer belong to the world’s system; and because of their benign ignorance of My ways and will; they hate you for it as they did Me.” And just like the Jews, they think that they have ample justification for their hatred, but they do not. Hatred caused them to treat Me cruelly; spitting and slapping My face, mocking, ridiculing and scoffing at Me, and eventually killing Me. All without cause.  People hate what they don’t understand. You are loved and you are hand-chosen by the Lord, and you are not understood by the people among whom you dwell; God has made you to be strangers, set apart by the Most High by a divine choice to be his own peculiar favored people. A special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers. They hate you without a cause!

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Because you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Hated Without A Cause!

Scripture Reading: [Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Deuteronomy 14:2 1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 Corinthian 1:26-30; Titus 2:14; John 15:18-27; John 15:18-25; 1 John 3:13].

By Derek Major

Several descendants of women who played “Aunt Jemima” are speaking out against the Quaker Oats food company’s decision to rebrand its Aunt Jemima breakfast line.

According to The Blaze, Larnell Evans Sr. believes Quaker Oats, which owns the brand, is trying to rewrite history. Quaker Oats announced last week that it will rename and rebrand the line due to the “racial stereotypes” it portrays.

“This is an injustice for me and my family. This is part of my history, sir,” Evans said. “The racism they talk about, using images from slavery, that comes from the other side — white people.”

“This company profits off images of our slavery. And their answer is to erase my great-grandmother’s history. A Black female,” Evans added. “It hurts.”

Evans’ great-grandmother, Anna Short Harrington, replaced the original Aunt Jemima, Nancy Green, a former enslaved woman, as the face of the Aunt Jemima brand in the early 1920s.

“She worked for that Quaker Oats for 20 years. She traveled all the way around the United States and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them,” Evans explained.

“This woman served all those people, and it was after slavery. She worked as Aunt Jemima. That was her job,” he continued. “How do you think I feel as a Black man sitting here telling you about my family history they’re trying to erase?”

Evans is not the only descendant of a woman who played Aunt Jemima that was upset by the news. According to a New York Post article, Vera Harris said her family takes pride in Quaker Oats scouting her second cousin Lillian Richard to be a representative of the brand in 1925.

Harris added Richard worked for the company for 23 years, traveling the U.S. as Aunt Jemima to serve pancakes until she had a stroke.

“She was considered a hero in [her hometown of] Hawkins, and we are proud of that. We do not want that history erased,” Harris told the Post. “She made an honest living out of it for a number of years. She toured around Texas,” Harris added, noting there “wasn’t a lot of jobs, especially for Black women back in that time.”

The news of the change by Quaker Oats has led to other brands, including Uncle Ben’s Rice, to review changing their names.