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By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

Theresa Hunter used drugs growing up in the Sacramento area. The 32-year-old smoked weed, snorted cocaine, and popped pills.

Then, as a young adult, the mother of three found a different high: crystal methamphetamine.

“To deal with the trauma and grief in my life at that time, I turned to using drugs,” Hunter recalled. “I was trying to escape from everything.”

For five years, Hunter smoked around two grams a day of the highly addictive stimulant.

Crystal meth causes intense euphoria and negative effects such has depression, psychosis and paranoia, seizures, and other problems that can be fatal. Hunter’s addiction led her to becoming homeless and leaving her daughters’ care to their father.

Hunter tried to quit crystal meth but became lethargic and slept for days when she didn’t smoke. Rehab centers only accept individuals with alcohol or opioid issues.

In 2021, while four months pregnant with her third daughter Kassiani Rich, Hunter told her prenatal doctor that she was an addict.

“This is my time to get clean and sober,” remembered Hunter. “I was scared, but I knew I needed to get clean. I didn’t want to have an abortion or give my daughter up.”

Hunter was admitted to a rehab center for 90 days but relapsed twice after release.

Kassiani was born healthy, but Hunter lost custody and underwent further rehab. Hunter has been clean since June 12, 2021, and now has custody of Kassiani, 2, and her other daughters, Eryneesa Bernard-Wainiwheh, 13, and Jasani Bernard-Wainiwheh, 10.

She credits her daughters and programs such as See Her Bloom, an online project that helps Black women with substance abuse disorders by sharing resources and allowing women to tell their stories, for paving her road to recovery.

“Knowing there is a platform to help women overcome their addiction, having a place women can go to is really helpful,” Hunter said.

See Her Bloom is one of the many organizations and campaigns in the Golden State focused on combatting substance use disorder (SUD).

According to a 2022 report by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), overdose deaths from opioids and psychostimulants, like crystal meth, are soaring, and 9% of Californians met the criteria for SUD — misuse or overuse of alcohol or other drugs, including illicit drugs that lead to health problems — the previous year. Only 10% of the people with SUD received treatment in 2021, despite SUDs being recognized as an illness.

Black Americans have higher rates of illicit drug use (24.3%) compared to non-Hispanic Whites (22.5%), according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in May, revealed that from December 2021 to December 2022 there were 107,573 drug overdose deaths — a decrease of 2% from the previous 12 months.

Elizabeth Keating, Clinical Program Director of CA Bridge, a Public Health Institute focused on expanding addiction medication for treatment in hospital emergency departments, said overdose rates in California increased by around 1% between 2021 and 2022.

“Up is not what we want,” she said. “If not for the COVID pandemic, I would say the opioid crisis is biggest health crisis of our time. Policy matters.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom awarded $5.7 million for opioid and stimulant-use education and outreach in “Two-Spirit/LGBTQ” Communities as part of a $1 billion state initiative.

“Education and outreach are critical tools in our arsenal — to prevent tragedy, to connect people with treatment, and to fight the life-threatening stigma that stops too many people from getting help,” Newsom said.

There are also a host of bills introduced in the State Assembly and Senate aimed at addressing the state’s drug crisis.

However, more needs to be done, said Center for Collaborative Planning at the Public Health Institute Executive Director Connie Chan Robinson, who leads the See Her Bloom initiative. She said lack of research on substance issues among Black women enhances the view that there isn’t a problem in that group.

“There is a stereotype that continues to be perpetuated that strong Black girls and young women are impenetrable, they are not influenced by drugs,” Robinson said. “Their lack of engagement with families, the ability to take about issues, and the denial factor with the family contributes to the further isolation.”

Dr. Jenifer Zhan, an Implementation Leader with CA Bridge, said numbers from her organization reveal that overdose deaths increased in ZIP codes with majority Black populations by 202% from 2018 to 2022. Zhan said prescriptions for buprenorphine, an FDA-approved drug used to treat substance misuse like opioids, are given at a much lower rate to Black patients.

Zhan noted that historically people of color are more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for substance use and that can lead many Black people with addiction problems to mistrust health care providers.

“We do make a policy stance on decriminalizing substance use and we advocate for treatment instead of incarceration,” she said. “We still advocate for treatment in jail, in hospitals. There is a shortage of Black doctors. Patients of color will seek care from doctors that look like them. We need policy changes in the education realm also to fix inequalities in health care.”

Robinson said more work needs to be done to discover the connection between mental health and drug use. She said the people at See Her Bloom say more peer-to-peer outreach is needed to combat illicit substance use.

“They need a space for them to share their stories,” Robinson said.

Second annual cinematic concert August 12

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra will present their second annual evening of cinematic music on Saturday, August 12 at 7:30 p.m. Entitled “Movies with the Maestro,” this performance will be held at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts in downtown San Bernardino.

The concert will draw from an eclectic mélange of film favorites, including several pieces in which SBSO Music Director Anthony Parnther has personally participated.

“When I’m not here in San Bernardino with our world-class orchestra, I have the distinct pleasure of leading the Hollywood Studio Symphony on many of the most beloved film and television franchises on the planet,” explained Parnther. “This year’s Movies with the Maestro is personal. We will delve into some of the scores I led from the scoring stages of Los Angeles, London, and Nashville, including blockbuster hits like Avatar: The Way of Water, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and Slumberland.”

In addition to conducting, Parnther performs on numerous movie soundtracks. “I remain active as a recording artist in the studios, and we will also explore some of the scores I have played my bassoon on including Animaniacs and Gremlins: The Secret of Mogwai.”

But that’s not all. This concert will convene some of Southern California’s finest musicians in a way rarely seen.

Explained Maestro Parnther, “This is a truly regional event as we are collaborating with the superstars of our Southern California cornerstone orchestras. We have invited the celebrated principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Opera, and the Principal Trumpet of the Pacific Symphony.”

Parnther was recently recognized by Mark Swed, Classical Music Critic of the Los Angeles Times, who described him as “the quintessential L.A. musician of our day.” Swed states, “…his technique with a baton provides complete confidence. At the same time, he indulges in robustly physical playing and riveting narrative. He enhances this by speaking engagingly to the audience, explaining why he has chosen each work and what it means to him.” Further, “The effect he gets from any size group conveys the concentration that can be felt in a recording studio. There, with the pressure to produce a recording, the outer world’s distractions recede and the music dominates your full attention.”

Full concert repertoire includes John Williams’ “Hooray for Hollywood” and “Born on the 4^th of July”, Simon Franglen’s Suite from Avatar: The Way of Water, Pinar Toprak’s Suite from Slumberland, and Bernard Herrmann’s “Salaambo’s Aria” from Citizen Kane. Young patrons will particularly enjoy Steve and Julie Bernstein’s Suite from Animanics, John Powell’s “Poisonous Love” from Rio 2, and Jerry Goldsmith and Sherri Chung’s “Gremlins” from Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai. Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Horn Andrew Bain will join the Orchestra to perform Kris Bowers’ (Green Book, King Richard, and Bridgerton) Concerto for Horn which, under the baton of Maestro, Parnther, premiered in 2021 as part of the Philharmonic’s Reel Change series.

Patrons are highly encouraged to bring their light sabers to wave along to William’s “Imperial March” from Star Wars and to Ludwig Goransson and Joe Shirley’s Main Theme from Star Wars-The Mandalorian.

Second Performance Added

The August 12 concert will be reprised on Wednesday August 16 at the Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts Auditorium to open the Association of California Symphony Orchestras 54th annual conference. This is the first year the conference has ever been held in the Inland Empire and the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra was honored to have been selected as the host organization.

Shared Dean McVay, ACSO Board Member, conference co-chair, and Immediate Past President of the San Bernardino Symphony Board of Directors, “We at the SBSO have been planning and preparing for an ACSO Conference in the Inland Empire for years, and in many respects it is a dream come true. Bringing the best and brightest industry leaders, musicians, and artists in the West Coast for this conference is an honor and a privilege, and we look forward to sharing the beauty and talent that is so abundant here in the Inland Empire – with performances from our own San Bernardino Symphony, and also during the conference from our partners at the Redlands Symphony and the Riverside Philharmonic.”

The public is invited to attend the August 16 concert with tickets purchased through the Symphony Box Office. Registration is still open for the ACSO conference which includes a concert ticket.

Tickets and Location Details

Tickets for August 12 are available at $20-$100 per seat. and may be purchased online at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org or by phone at (909) 381-5388 Monday through Friday. Students and Active Military are always $15. The historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts is located at 562 W. 4th Street San Bernardino. Free, lighted parking is available directly across from the venue.

Tickets for August 16 are available by phone only at (909) 381-5388 and are general admission open seating at $50/pp. The Coil Auditorium is located at 3890 University Ave, Riverside.

Venue box office sales are planned, but the availability of seats cannot be guaranteed.

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 attorneys general in submitting a letter to Congress in support of H.R. 1255, the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023. Authored by Congressmen Seth Moulton (D-MA) and James Clyburn (D-SC), the federal legislation would extend eligibility for certain housing and educational benefits to Black World War II veterans and their families. The original GI Bill signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 — known as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act — was race neutral, but its implementation was marred by racism.

“Exactly 75 years ago, President Harry S. Truman mandated the desegregation of our Armed Forces. Today, we cannot lose sight of a harsh reality: Black World War II veterans and their families were systematically denied the GI benefits they had rightfully earned,” said Attorney General Bonta. “H.R. 1255 would fix that terrible injustice, and I join my fellow attorneys general in urging Congress to pass it. We must continue to make progress toward a more perfect union.”

The original GI Bill provided a range of benefits to World War II veterans, including low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business or farm, and funds to pursue a college education. However, these benefits were regularly denied to Black World War II veterans and their families solely because of the color of their skin. For example, institutions adopted the Federal Housing Administration’s racial exclusion programs, known as redlining, which excluded Black World War II veterans from accessing the housing loan guaranty program. The consequences of such acts have had longstanding impacts: according to a report from the Consumer Federation of America, homeownership between white Americans and Black Americans stand at 74.50% and 44.10%, respectively, as of 2020.

If passed, the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 — named after two Black World War II veterans who experienced life-altering injustices — would among other things:

• Extend access to the VA Loan Guaranty Program to surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of Black World War II veterans.
• Extend access to the Post-911 GI Bill educational assistance benefits to surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of Black World War II veterans.
• Establish a panel of experts to make recommendations on addressing inequitable access to benefits for female and minority members of the Armed Forces.

In sending today’s letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

A copy of the letter is available here.

RIVERSIDE, CA – July 20, 2023 – Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation is thrilled to announce its 21st Annual Free Backpack Giveaway, which will take place on Saturday, July 29, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Bordwell Park located at 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507. This exciting event aims to provide essential school supplies to K-12 students in need, ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed in the upcoming academic year.

At the 21st Annual Free Backpack Giveaway, backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. To receive a backpack, students must be present, and age-appropriate K-12 identification will be required. With a limited supply available, early arrival is highly recommended to secure a backpack.

The Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation is proud to collaborate with several esteemed partners who share the vision of empowering students and strengthening the community. This event is made possible through partnerships with the City of Riverside, Riverside Unified School District, Cold Cutz Barber Shop, Riverside Police Department, Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, and the Riverside Fire Department. Their support and dedication further highlight the collective effort to foster educational excellence and provide resources to students in need.

For media inquiries or further information about the 21st Annual Free Backpack Giveaway, please contact:

Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation

Email: info@adcrfoundation.org

Phone: (909) 301-4907

About Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation:

The Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation (ADCR Foundation) consists of dedicated volunteers focused on empowering Riverside County Citizens through the development of cultural activities, education, and economic development. The ADCR Foundation showcases Riverside County’s rich cultural diversity with colorful, inspiring, and authentic cultural activities throughout the year. The Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation is committed to “bringing communities and opportunities together,” rewarding academic achievement and excellence with scholarships, and nurturing an awareness of “giving back to the community” within today’s youth. To learn more, visit www.adcrfoundation.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—The City of San Bernardino has announced it will be holding three final community workshops to discuss its proposed Housing Element before seeking approval from the Mayor and Council to submit the plan to the State of California for certification.

California law requires that all cities develop a Housing Element and housing programs to meet their “fair share” of existing and future housing needs for all income groups. The Housing Element contains goals, policies, and programs to facilitate the development, improvement, and preservation of housing that meets the forecast need.

The state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) calls for San Bernardino to plan for 8,123 additional housing units, ranging from affordable to market rate housing. San Bernardino’s proposed Housing Element outlines a plan for the city to achieve its assigned allocation of new housing units by 2029.

City staff will be on hand at the workshop to provide an overview of the plan, obtain input, and answer questions.

Workshops will be held:

Monday, July 17 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Shandin Hills Golf Club, 3380 Little Mountain Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92405

Tuesday, July 18 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1575 West 17th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92411

Thursday, July 20 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at San Manuel Gateway College, 250 South G Street, Room #2, 3rd Floor

To view a copy of the draft Housing Element plan, please visit: SBdraft2021-2029HousingElement_V2.pdf (futuresb2050.com)

Please contact City of San Bernardino Associate Planner Travis Martin at (909) 384-5313 or martin_tr@sbcity.org with any questions.

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. strongly condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling which strikes down race-based admissions at colleges and universities.  This majority decision overturns decades of legal precedent and will likely have a crippling impact on the racial diversity of colleges and universities for generations to come.

Today’s landmark ruling undermines Fourteenth amendment protections, reduces opportunities in higher education, further disenfranchises students of color, and may lead to more acts of discrimination and racism at predominately white institutions (PWIs).

The consequences of this ruling will be far reaching within American society.  A less diverse student population at some of the nation’s best colleges and universities may lead to a less racially diverse candidate pool for career opportunities.  This will likely exacerbate inequalities in housing, healthcare, and other critical areas of need.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. refuses to remain silent on these trends to roll back hard-fought civil rights gains and to disenfranchise Black and marginalized communities.

Elections have consequences, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will continue to develop leaders and advocates to engage in all levels of our Democracy.  Alpha Phi Alpha will also continue its investment in the youth to minimize the damaging effect of this ruling.

About Alpha Phi AlphaThe Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) has been awarded a $250,000 grant from SoCalGas as part of their “Fueling our communities” initiative. Funding from this grant will support the CAPSBC Food Bank to continue feeding our communities in San Bernardino County, prioritizing SoCalGas’ service areas which include the Valley Region and Mountain Region, specifically Rim Forest, Crestline, and Lake Arrowhead.

“CAPSBC is thrilled to be the recipient of a $250,000 grant from SoCalGas!” said Patricia Nickols-Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County. “Our organization has a longstanding partnership with SoCalGas, and we are grateful for their continued support of our mission to combat hunger and malnutrition by distributing healthy food to low-income families and individuals in need. Our Food Bank is the largest provider of emergency food in San Bernardino County, and addressing food insecurity is one of our top priorities. The high cost of groceries reduces people’s ability to purchase food. This and other factors such as the end of CalFresh Emergency Allotments and the Pandemic-EBT Program will add to increased hunger and hardship among our low-income communities. Thanks to SoCalGas, the CAPSBC Food Bank will be able to serve more individuals with much needed food services.”

In 2022, the CAPSBC Food Bank distributed 11 million pounds of food to over 125,000 households. The Food Bank serves an average of 27,000 households per month through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Community Pantry Program. With SoCalGas’ grant funding, the program will be able to provide more food boxes containing shelf stable items such as proteins, grains, canned vegetables, canned fruits, juices, and mixed produce boxes of fruits and vegetables. CAPSBC in partnership with SoCalGas will host a community food distribution event on Saturday, July 29, 2023, as part of their continued collaboration and commitment to serve our communities in need.

“SoCalGas understands it’s been a challenging year for many San Bernardino County families, which is why we have contributed more than $4 million to the “Fueling our communities” program this year, said Kristine Scott, Senior Public Affairs Manager for SoCalGas. This donation demonstrates our strong commitment to the well-being of the communities we serve.”

The ‘Fueling Our Communities’ program began in 2020 as a collaboration between SoCalGas and five regional nonprofits to provide free meals to individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the program’s first summer, SoCalGas and its partners provided more than 140,000 meals to 40,000 individuals from underserved communities across Southern California.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) has unanimously added Derek Smith to its Board of Directors. Smith is the founder and managing member of Marinship Development Interest, a California African American Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) leading heavy building and construction innovation for civil and energy infrastructure projects.

CAACC Chairman Timothy Alan Simon, announced that Smith’s experience, leadership skills, resourcefulness, professional achievements, and ability to approach strategic solutions will prove useful to CAACC’s leadership team and objectives.

Smith said he will help the largest African American, statewide-business organization expand exponentially, increase its professional capacity, and enhance its image. He will operate as CAACC’s “spokesperson” and is looking forward to elevating the profile of the organization in California and throughout the country.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Every year CNBC releases a “Top States for Business” ranking.

The network evaluated all 50 states on 86 metrics across 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category was weighted based on how frequently states used it as a selling point to attract potential residents and businesses. The metrics were scored on a scale of 2,500 points and the states with the highest scores made the list.

California gained top rankings in ‘Access to Capital’ and ‘Technology & Innovation’. However, the state received F rankings in ‘Business Friendliness’ and ‘Cost of Living’. Overall, California ranked number 25 in the study.

“Our overall ranking should come as no surprise to the governor and Legislature, who continue to push higher taxes, fees, and expensive regulations onto businesses,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.

“The governor and Legislature’s policies continue to give clear signals that California is not a friendly place to expand or grow jobs,” Lapsley added.

Inland Empire students can use their creativity to compete for prizes in a film competition. Youth in Riverside and San Bernardino counties can enter Cinema Culturas’ 2023 International Storytelling, Film & Music K12 Student Competition. The theme is “How adversity helps you grow.” The contest aims to “encourage students to thrive by turning challenges into learning experiences.”

Students from kindergarten through 12th grade can submit a short film/story in English or Spanish that explores a science or artistic theme. They can also create original music for their entry.

The winners and finalists will have their work posted online as part of the Cinema Culturas Film Festival in fall. Winning stories will also be screened at a red-carpet reception. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.

The entry deadline is Tuesday, August 1. For more information, please visit cinemaculturas.com.